Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I am surprised that the broader issue of enlisting support for change in the terms of the EU-IMF package was not discussed and that there was no specific request. The Taoiseach says we will leave it to the Minister for Finance, but it is advisable that it is raised at all levels including at government-to-government level. I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that his promises and statements before the election are nobody else's responsibility. His response reflects a change in tone, attitude and approach to the fundamental issues. He is correct in now saying that we must be respectful of the positions of other countries when we are negotiating changes to the terms set in Deauville months before any support package for Ireland was discussed. That is a direct reversal of the position he adopted some months ago when he said in the House that if he had been there he would have expected somebody to say that this is about politics and that if he were not given a better deal than what the civil servants had put together, he would go home. Can the Taoiseach explain exactly why he has changed his mind?

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