Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As I indicated, the Parliament rejected the multi-annual financial framework agreed to by the Council in February, with more than 500 Members voting against it. We have since been engaged in discussions with it to establish a basis for the taking of a further vote. A plenary session will take place next week and it is our objective that a vote will be taken at that stage. The negotiations concluded last week and both Mr. Lamassoure and I agreed to recommend what we had agreed to the Council in my case and the Parliament in his. There are indications from the Parliament that the package negotiated will not be deemed acceptable when it is put to a vote next week. In that context, we have indicated a willingness to engage in further discussions with the Parliament on additional adjustments to the package. There are several issues which, although not central to the MFF negotiations, are relevant as a consequence of the Parliament's decision to make a link between acceptance of the MFF and the draft amending budget for 2013. We have suggested a way of progressing matters might be for Mr. Lamassoure and me to meet the four Presidents tomorrow.

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