Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

With regard to the political benefit of President Obama's visit, will the Taoiseach or any member of his Government use some of the goodwill to ask the American Administration about lifting its apparent veto on burning bondholders? Perhaps the Taoiseach can explain the extraordinary reluctance among our political leaders to question anyone in the American Administration about this issue. The Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, when in New York and the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, when he met Secretary of State Clinton, all refrained from asking what I would call the Geithner question. Did Timothy Geithner veto the decision to burn the bondholders?

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