Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

Do the EU leaders take seriously what looks like a majority sentiment across Europe, and increasingly across the world, about the incorrect priorities that Governments seem to pursue? Did the Taoiseach specifically discuss jobs and what he was going to do for jobs? This is all about bailouts and mechanisms. What did the Taoiseach say should be done to create jobs in Europe? What decisions were made and what actions will be taken by European Council leaders to create jobs in Europe?

Did the Taoiseach discuss the fact that there is probably a consensus among economists and commentators that austerity is having a negative impact on growth, that it is crippling growth in the European economy and that policies are not working? Did the Taoiseach discuss these issues? Did he raise them or did European Union leaders raise them?

On the question of a referendum in Greece does the Taoiseach agree with many people, who feel it is outrageous that European leaders, Merkel and Sarkozy and the so-called markets, went crazy because the Greek Prime Minister had the audacity to suggest the Greek people might have some say on their social and economic future? Does the Taoiseach agree it shows contempt for democracy that this was the response of the EU leaders and the markets in Europe to a desire by the Greek Prime Minister to have a referendum?

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