Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Will the services directive be on the agenda of any of the meetings the Taoiseach will attend on the margins of the upcoming summit this month? In the context of 50,000 people demonstrating in advance of the passage of the services directive, did the Taoiseach make any intervention or representation to his party's representatives in the European Parliament with regard to the impending vote?

What is the Taoiseach's position on the voting pattern of his party's representatives during the passage of the various elements of the services directive? Will he explain why they voted against the amendment that would have excluded health-related services from the operation of the directive? Does the Taoiseach accept that the directive continues to represent an attack on wages, working conditions and public services? Does he acknowledge the view of the European Commission that the services directive as passed by the Parliament will be interpreted by the European Court of Justice in line with case history and that that will result in an affirmation of the country of origin principle? If there were any chance of it being interpreted otherwise the country of destination would have had to be specified during its passage. The Taoiseach's colleagues in the European Parliament voted against an amendment to that effect as, all too sadly, did other Irish voices. Will the Taoiseach advise the House of his position on these matters?

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