Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

There is nothing in the Taoiseach's response, in what I have been advised of the European Council engagement last week or, indeed, in the commentary from Social Justice Ireland and others such as the Anti-Poverty Network, that gives me a sense that he utilised his opportunity of representing us at that Council meeting last week to press for a robust anti-poverty strategy. Ireland is not playing the part that it can and should.

The Taoiseach will respond in his own words, but the fact of the matter is I fear that he is leaving it to the big wigs to make all the decisions. What objection did the Taoiseach raise to the rejection by the Heads of Government of the draft 2020 strategy presented by the Commission? They were basic propositions. Why could that not have at least been accepted instead of being rejected for what have been widely described as meaningless aspirations in the commentary by SJI since?

Ireland has not played the part that it must on the European stage in seeking to put robust targets in place. Only a week before the European Council meeting, in a written response to parliamentary questions from the Sinn Féin team, the Taoiseach indicated that Ireland supports inclusion of a target to capture progress towards greater social cohesion. The precise position he would adopt, the Taoiseach went on to state, would depend on what emerges from the ongoing analysis and preparatory discussions. That gives me no confidence that the Taoiseach was going there with a clear purpose and intent to argue the position cogently and forcefully.

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