Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I wish the Taoiseach well at the next European Council meeting, but I note with disappointment that at the last session he restated his commitment to the EU-IMF deal and to the austerity package. In an earlier answer the Taoiseach spoke of the gap between the Government and the people. That gap is being deepened by the universal social charge. It is the price citizens are paying for this deal.

The Minister for Finance has said that the lumping of banking debt and sovereign debt is not sustainable. The head of the European Central Bank has made clear his insistence that it is sustainable, saying that Ireland can do it and will do it. This is clearly Frankfurt's way. Will the Taoiseach make clear to the Irish people and to our partners at the European summit, contrary to what he said a moment ago, that we will not proceed with this deal because, as the Minister said, it is not sustainable? We cannot afford it and it will sink us if we keeping going as the Government is going, following in the footprints of Fianna Fáil.

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