Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the context of his ongoing discussions with his European colleagues, does the Minister believe there is more confidence that the European crisis is settling down? Are we approaching a situation where Europe can start dealing with specific problems, like Ireland's debt problem and the deal we are seeking to resolve it? At a meeting of this committee yesterday, one of my colleagues pointed out that if growth is weaker than expected in the next few years that could have a knock-on effect in terms of us being able to reduce our unemployment levels. In that context, getting a deal and more support from Europe could have a major impact on our ability to get out of the crisis we are in.