Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

They have made a public call for time, in the context of what was a genuine democratic revolution, to allow the new Greek Government to negotiate on behalf of its citizens. Without second-guessing the views of citizens across the State, I genuinely believe the vast majority of them would support allowing the Greek people time. The Minister is right to point out that there is a humanitarian crisis, but it did not emerge yesterday or after the election; it has been ongoing for quite a while. It is the result, although not primarily, of the extend and pretend nature of dealing with the crisis in Greece of loading more debt on debt. That is part of the problem and I hope a conclusion is reached at the Eurogroup, although I do not expect a final conclusion to be reached. I hope, however, that it will be the start of reaching a conclusion. The Irish Government should not be a bystander but a willing participant in trying to ensure Greek and Irish debts are brought to a sustainable level, or a more sustainable level in our case.