Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Does the Taoiseach agree that from the report he has given today he has failed dismally in the single most prominent pledge he made to the people before the general election, in the course of the general election campaign and immediately after the general election, that he would secure a major renegotiation of the EU-IMF-ECB austerity agreement? Does he also agree in particular that he said he would achieve burden sharing by forcing the gambling bondholders to take at least some of their own losses and that he would achieve a cut in the interest rates for funds extended from Europe at scandalously high rates? Does the Taoiseach further agree that four months later it is abundantly clear that, despite several meetings of the European Union at the highest levels, he has absolutely nothing to show? Will he explain to the Dáil and to the people what is going on, why he has failed so far and whether he will give a timeline for the next four months on how he will honour his promise to the people?

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