Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome this referendum, although it might be for a different reason from the reasons others might have. I welcome it because, if passed, it will enshrine a debt brake in our Constitution for this and future Governments. For too long we have seen expenditure of public moneys, and indeed promised expenditure by both Government and Opposition parties, with the sole purpose in many instances of gaining political advantage rather than for the genuine benefit of this country. Once we enshrine in the Constitution that borrowing must be kept to very strict and disciplined limits, it will be good for this country.

We now have a flavour of how this debate might progress. Anybody who claims that Ireland can speak for the rest of Europe is living in cloud cuckoo land. We should conduct this debate, regardless of whether one is for or against the referendum proposal, on the basis of what is in the best interests of the Irish people, many of whom are currently in great difficulty and suffering socially, psychologically and financially. That is our duty. We should not use this referendum purely for what we perceive to be political gain. I would be asking everyone to be responsible in this debate. I would like to think that the Government will make every effort prior to the referendum to ensure that there is some amelioration of the sovereign debt levels, particularly the promissory notes, and also the interest rate levels. That should be done to ensure that we get a positive result in this country. People must see that the path we are taking will lead to some sort of resolution of their difficulties and that it will not be a continuous round of austerity for at least a decade. There is an onus on all of us, working together in the interests of this country, to ensure that what is put to the people is done in an attractive way.

We should be wary of persons from outside of this country who have a great deal of money to spend influencing policy making in this country. There is a children's group which was told that €1.5 million from external sources would be ploughed into a referendum here. I do not want to see our referendum contaminated by anybody with his or her own personal external agenda. This should be done on the basis of us debating it openly and honestly in the interests of the people and, hopefully, persuading that the correct decision will be made, particularly in the interests of the younger generation to whom we have a real responsibility.