Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

It is a story that needs to be told. Every banking system has had major challenges, to understate it slightly, in the past few weeks. Ireland would have had those challenges far earlier if it was not for the ECB. Now is the time to be at the heart of Europe, not on the margins. I would be worried about going down an isolationist road, which would not be good for the country and could imperil our future in terms of financial and economic stability and job creation.

Regarding the EU Presidency, there were frank discussions but we are all democrats. All democrats cannot get away from the reality when people vote. People voted in a certain direction and that is it. President Sarkozy understands that but is anxious to understand the underlying issues and to know if he can be of any help in respect of the issues the Irish people surfaced in the debate on the Lisbon treaty. The national consultation we are engaged in through the Oireachtas committee is a good starting point. The timeframe of two months is tight and I appreciate the co-operation of all in the Houses.

In fairness to the French Presidency, it has been an eventful three or four months. As President Sarkozy stated, he was hardly in office before he had the Lisbon treaty agenda on his desk because of the Irish vote, followed by a war in Georgia in August and the financial stability crisis in September. It cannot be described as uneventful and he is wondering what is coming in the next three months.

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