Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I ask the Minister whether he has had an opportunity to reflect on the renewed debate on an international transaction tax, also known as the Tobin tax. This issue arose during the preparations for the Council and in the discussion on the response to the Greek issue.

The construction of the phrase "as a final resort" in the communique on the Greek issue is somewhat ambiguous to my mind. It is linked to my first question because the character of the statement emerging from the Council would have a direct effect on the speculative threat posed to the Greek economy and, therefore, the phrase was interpreted as a statement of solidarity from the European Union with German reservations. I will leave aside the role of the International Monetary Fund because our time is limited but the Minister may wish to clarify the issue. The Greek Prime Minister, Mr. Papandreou, wanted a strong formula which would drive off what he regarded as a highly organised speculative threat but discussion then moved towards the possible involvement of the IMF. To put the question as bluntly as a Greek politician would, does the phrase mean that we will not be let fall altogether once the speculative flows have had their whack at the Greek economy or is it a textual use intended to drive off this speculative threat?

I have already asked about such alliances as we may make to prepare for Mexico. In other words, I hope our development experience will not be quenched through the common position. While we should sign up to the common position, we also have the benefit of other alliances in the context of a United Nations led role in establishing a legally binding text.

Will recruitment to the external action service be confined to the diplomatic corps and will it be a house of mandarins? I have great respect for diplomacy and its long list of achievements since the time of Talleyrand but this agency will be responsible for foreign policy rather than diplomacy, which is the application of the foreign policies decided by elected parliaments, and its recruitment process should be both wide and public.

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