Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

There is an obligation on the Taoiseach to circulate papers on, for example, unsecured bondholders and how the European Financial Stability Facility, EFSF, is working. We are all getting a bit tired of people coming out of meetings saying they have lifted it for Europe once and for all, we have turned a corner etc. All of the crisis summits have failed. They unravel within a week or two, as the last one did.

The communique states that we agree that fiscal issues are the main cause of the crisis. Does the Taoiseach agree this is nonsense? Financial and monetary systems are at the core of the crisis and are making it worse. Why is there no mention of reform of the European Central Bank, ECB, in the 15-page document that emanated from the work?

So far, the Taoiseach has avoided taking any public position on the measures being proposed by Germany and France. The Council is set to agree measures next month and finalise them in March in terms of the potential reform of the treaties. I asked the Taoiseach whether he had tabled any specific reform proposal and whether he would consult on any matter before the December summit.

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