Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does the Tánaiste agree that praise is like a liqueur in that it is often better served by somebody else? I was minded to ask this question because of the extent of the self-congratulatory run we have had and the amount of red carpet rolled out by the Government. I was pleased that at the end the Minister of State's contribution, she correctly recognised the tremendous level of work done by the staff and our Civil Service. Does the Tánaiste agree that a successful Presidency is not without precedent? There have been challenging times in the past from a European perspective and the consistency afforded to the work of the Presidency by our permanent representatives in Brussels and here has really been the backbone of Ireland's contribution to the European Union. It must be recognised that Governments and politicians come and go but it will be for history to decide who did what, when, where and how. It is incumbent on those of us elected by the people to recognise the tremendous work of our Civil Service and contractors.

Will the Tánaiste expand on the issue of banking union? There have been some concerns and our leader, Deputy Martin, spoke of those in particular put forward by the Financial Times and The Irish Times that seemed to suggest that despite the publicity or spin coming from negotiations, there is still very much a link between the sovereign and the banks, and regardless of the agreement reached last week, there is still an umbilical cord and we have not broken the link in the process that goes back to last year. There was much expectation so will the Tánaiste elaborate on the issue?

I accept the issues surrounding Mr. Snowden happened in the dying days of Ireland's Presidency but I would have thought a stronger position should have been taken by the Taoiseach in the first instance. I have not heard the Tánaiste's comments on the matter so he may be able to provide clarification as our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Concerns should have been expressed about the issues surrounding Mr. Snowden and particularly the notion that the United States would engage in activity in this State, the European Union and in European Union offices in the United States. That is deeply worrying, and I was disappointed with the way in which President Obama dealt with it by almost seeming to suggest that if information is not readily available, these are the kinds of action taken.

In my naivete I understood that consular services around the world were meant to interact at a diplomatic level, building relationships, networking and getting key understanding of how people think, as well as having off-the-record briefings and discussions, all of which is part of normal diplomacy. It is not about placing bugging devices in offices where sensitive discussions and negotiations are ongoing, which undermines the fundamentals of a democracy and regular interaction. It troubles me greatly as somebody who has supported the United States in almost every conflict in which it has found itself, and I still believe in what the United States stands for. It pains me to be critical of this issue, and if it had happened under a Republican President, there would have been absolute uproar. It is deeply disappointing behaviour from a friendly nation.

The Government continues to take assurances from the United States about the transport of prisoners and specifically that they have never been transported through Irish airports. That is done on the basis that we have a friendly relationship with that nation and we accept its assurances.

It beggars belief that in that kind of environment, this type of activity would have taken place. I wonder why the Irish Government has not taken a much clearer and unequivocal position. It is no harm to stand up to a friend on occasion when we recognise that the friend is straying off the path that would be expected and to give a more than gentle reminder on this occasion that this behaviour is unacceptable and puts the relationship back quite a distance. We can talk about a trade agreement between the EU and US. I would call into question how great an achievement that is when one considers the extent to which information about Europe's position on this has been collated and perhaps disseminated. I would like to hear more from the Minister about that.

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