Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

Governments talked such a good game throughout the Celtic tiger years that the European Union accepted as fact that Ireland was enjoying an economic miracle. Ireland was a reference country in regard to the Nice treaty, pointed to as the member state to which the ten accession states should aspire. As a member of the Committee of Public Accounts between 2005 and 2007, I recall that this notion was reinforced to the members of a visiting German delegation. However, they were also told that if the cheap money from Germany ever dried up we would be in trouble and that there was a very high level of personal indebtedness.

We are once again talking a good game. The Government is saying that our debt, both personal and national, is sustainable, that we can pay unsecured private debts and, to top it all, that we can secure a referendum change. All the claps on the back in the world will not insulate those with huge mortgage and personal debt, those facing cuts in public services or the 450,000 people without jobs. The Government keeps telling us that it must be honest with citizens in pointing out that there is no money and that the country is in receivership. There is persistent talk of the need to "act honestly". We should expect the Government, when its members negotiate on our behalf, to be honest about the real situation rather than presenting some type of fairytale. What is being put forward by the Government does not match the facts. Where is the Europe of solidarity? What of the Charter of Fundamental Rights? All we are seeing is one crisis after another.

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