Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Why will the Taoiseach not answer questions about the EU Presidency? He still transfers even the most basic EU questions to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It was always the precedent in the House that the Taoiseach would answer questions on his or her role in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The last time we discussed this, the Taoiseach said it might be down to the wording of the questions and he suggested a wording. We put in the wording he suggested and it still got transferred. I believe there is a tactic with someone in the Taoiseach's office or elsewhere trying to shut down the areas on which we can question the Taoiseach. It is shutting down and restricting the role of Parliament as a forum to ask the Taoiseach basic and fundamental questions about his role in the EU, particularly the preparation for the EU Presidency, on which he should be willing to answer to the House during questions to the Taoiseach. I have noticed an ongoing pattern of consistently restricting the area on which we can ask the Taoiseach questions.

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