Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Any agenda which goes significantly beyond this will end in failure and probably sooner rather than later. When summits are convened but controlled by the agenda of a handful of countries, they rarely generate positive outcomes. When they are convened without leaders actively engaging with each other, they are always failures. I have never seen such a lack of bilateral contact between leaders as has been seen in recent months. The hyping up of casual and brief encounters may make sense in terms of media management but it does nothing for the quality of negotiations. The Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, have made references in recent days to praise for Ireland's determined tackling of its problems. What has been brazen - even for them - has been the attempt to claim that this is anything to do with measures introduced by them. All of the fiscal changes being praised happened because of a budget the Taoiseach voted against and the bank plans he announced are indistinguishable from those prepared by Brian Lenihan and attacked by Fine Gael and Labour during their search for votes in February.

The strategy of attacking the policies but claiming the credit for their impact is transparent and it will rebound on them. To be fair to the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, she acknowledged in December the need to enact the budget and she bravely announced she was only voting against it because she was assured it would pass anyway. The Taoiseach is right when he says that Ireland is not Greece. Unlike the situation in Greece, the previous Government chose to try to deal with the crisis rather than run to the country. Positive signs have begun to return, albeit still far too slowly. Our economy retains key strengths and the potential to create employment. Ireland needs a Europe where confidence has been restored. This can only happen if the twin fiscal and financial crises are tackled in a comprehensive and credible way. There is no room for manoeuvre left. If leaders adopt a raft of jerry-rigged half measures tonight, they may well get a short-term bounce, just like the short-term bounces they got in March and July - and the July measures have not been implemented yet despite all of the talk. However, what happens next may be a devastating blow to Europe, its economy and its people. Ireland must raise its voice clearly for decisive action that will be large and secure enough to show that Europe is serious.

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