Mr. Paul Murphy, MEP:

I will take the question. While I believe it exists, I do not consider the European Union as currently constituted to be something that is good for working people in Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal or wherever. A fundamentally different type of Europe is needed, namely, a socialist Europe.

As for whether measures such as the youth guarantee, the promissory notes and the other things contradict my analysis, they do not. On the question of promissory notes, Ireland got relatively little. As we still will be paying bonds that simply will get burned by the Irish Central Bank, it is not a fundamental deal. It does not change fundamentally the fact that Ireland's debt is unsustainable. We will not be able to pay it and in my opinion, at a certain stage we will not pay it. I consider the youth guarantee scheme to be welcome but inadequate, as more is needed. The current Government in Ireland is a neo-liberal Government. I acknowledge it raised the minimum wage and did away with Fianna Fáil's cutting of the minimum wage. Sometimes Governments, Commissions or whatever pursue policies that are not in line with the main thrust of events because they are under pressure from below. There is a crisis of youth unemployment with almost 6 million young people who are unemployed across the European Union and consequently, Governments and Commissioners must be seen to be doing something. Consequently, they engage in activities such as launching youth guarantee schemes to much fanfare etc.

Finally, on the alternative, although this may not answer to the Vice Chairman's satisfaction, it is my answer to his question about the contradiction in my position. I refer to the point about where I would get the funds, given I am in favour of more public investment. The point is - I did say this to Deputy Durkan the last time I was here - I am not a Keynesian.