Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

On a point of order, I seek the guidance of the Chair and I seek the adjournment of the House on the business before us to allow the Taoiseach to come to the House to explain how the finance committee of the Bundestag received detailed information about the forthcoming budget in advance of Irish parliamentarians. It is an unprecedented and a very serious situation and the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, should explain to Irish parliamentarians how this happened and whether the issues contained in the document were discussed by the Chancellor and the Taoiseach this week at their meeting in Berlin. Could somebody explain to the House the legal obligations that the German finance Ministry said obliged it to put this document before the Bundestag, in advance of it coming before the Dáil? Was our Department of Finance advised that the German finance ministry was taking this course of action with its parliamentarians? Has there been any contact or discussions between the Department of Finance and its German counterpart regarding this issue? Was it discussed by the Chancellor and the Taoiseach? I seek the guidance of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on this matter because I have been complaining for the past three to four weeks. In terms of respect for the Parliament, all the aspects of the budgetary framework, the capital programme, the comprehensive spending review which is due, and the fiscal framework, have all been published outside the House and now the budget itself has been put before the German Parliament before being put before this House. It is incredible, it is unprecedented and at least the Government owes the House an explanation. The Taoiseach should come to the House to explain how this has happened.

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