Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The point is not about personal empathy or so on. That is not what is crucial and is not the reason the Government makes bad decisions. The point is that the policies flow from a certain understanding of how society is to be run. That understanding is then codified, unfortunately, in the fiscal rules. That is the choice Sinn Féin has. Will it sign up to a coalition government which agrees to stick with the fiscal rules? If it does, it will end up implementing the same policies with maybe a more human and empathic face. It will not, however, make a fundamental difference.

Does the Minister agree the Commission's proposal for a substantial increase in defence spending in the MFF represents a significant further tilt towards the militarisation of the EU? Does he further agree that this money will come from cuts to beneficial programmes like the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund? Is that a fair and objective assessment?