Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)

Perhaps the Taoiseach might answer the question I posed on sovereignty when dealing with the supplementary question I am about to ask. Will he indicate whether he is prepared, as required by the IMF, to give up our sovereignty?

Is the Taoiseach satisfied that President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel should be meeting and posing as the spokespersons for Europe on a continual basis? The President of France must recognise that in the past week two of the three biggest French banks, namely, Crédit Agricole and Société Générale, have been downgraded. France is in the same swamp as Ireland at this stage. For the IMF to suggest we should hand over sovereignty to others who are in possibly worse situations is something we must question.

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