Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I wish to raise a serious matter, which I already raised in the House the day after the fiscal compact was signed. There were reports then from senior sources in Europe saying the treaty was designed to ensure there would be no referendum on the treaty itself. The Minister of State for European affairs, Deputy Creighton, attended the House and flatly denied that. After I questioned her, the Leader dismissed that suggestion. This morning, however, we read that Germany's Minister for European affairs, Mr. Michael Link, has confirmed that European negotiatiors sought to design the eurozone fiscal compact in such as way as to avoid a referendum. The German Minister visited Dublin yesterday. This is an extremely serious subversion of the democratic process. I am even more concerned that the Minister of State for European affairs could flatly deny this in the House. The day after the treaty was signed, we knew of reports from Europe which said it was designed to facilitate Ireland so that there would be no referendum here.

I am tabling an amendment to the Order of Business so that the Minister of State for European affairs can attend the House today to clarify the position. Did she not know that this was the case or did she willingly mislead the House? I put it to you, a Chathaoirligh, that she misled this House because it was very clear. If Germany's Minister for European affairs knows that the treaty was designed to ensure there was no EU referendum, how in God's name does our Minister of State for European affairs not know the same thing? I put it to you, a Chathaoirligh, that she did, as did the Taoiseach and all our negotiators. This is a very serious departure so I am calling for the Minister of State for European affairs to come here straight after the Order of Business or at any stage today - we will facilitate her - to clarify this position. If she wants to deny what the German Minister said, she should put it on the record.

Is it the Government's view that Bord Gáis, the ESB and Aer Lingus are of strategic importance? Will the Leader confirm that in the original memorandum of understanding no figure or commitment was given to privatise any State assets? In Fine Gael's election manifesto, and in the programme for Government, it was proposed to sell up to €7 billion worth of State assets.

As regards the Government's record on job creation - and notwithstanding the positive announcement concerning PayPal earlier this week - Members of the House should not forget that the Government is taking €2 billion from private pension funds to put into job creation by way of its jobs initiative, which simply has not worked. Unemployment rose last year by 0.5% between July and December. Why should anyone trust this Government, a Government that is trying to make a big play on the fact that we will be allowed to use one third of the price realised to create jobs, to sell State assets? It is like selling the TV set to pay for the TV licence. It makes no sense. What I want to know is whether Aer Lingus is of strategic importance to this Government and to the State? Are Bord Gáis and the ESB of strategic importance to the State?