Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

When one lumps Questions Nos. 2 to 30 together, approximately 30 questions, the difficulty is that, perhaps deliberately, some questions are not answered.

In Question No. 9. I asked the Taoiseach whether he would publish details of any documents which he supplied to Chancellor Merkel on reform of the European Union and the eurozone. There was no reply to that. I am sorry; that was Question No. 15. In Question No. 9 I asked the Taoiseach to provide a full list of documents he has circulated to other eurozone Heads of State or Government. Earlier today I asked him whether he would provide the documentation that has been formally circulated to the German Parliament? A total of 41 German parliamentarians are now in receipt of documentation pertaining to our budgetary process. I asked earlier on Leaders' Questions whether the Taoiseach could confirm that the documentation has now been lodged in the Oireachtas Library. He refused to answer the question. I ask him again whether he will agree to make available promptly to Members of this House the documentation that has been made available to German parliamentarians. There should be no argument about this.

I do not see any sentence in the troika deal that requires the Taoiseach, or anyone, to give budget information which is before the Cabinet or the Dáil at the level of detail he has done. The detail in the letter from the Minister for Finance about exactly what he intends doing goes well beyond what is required to meet the terms of the deal.

The Government is holding a month-long series of media conferences. All the leaks about the budget are coming from members of the Cabinet. It is, therefore, reasonable to suggest that the Taoiseach would provide the information to Members of the House. There should not be a big deal about it. I do not have a problem about information going anywhere once it comes to this House first.

I find the relaxed tone in which the Taoiseach is addressing this issue and his disregard for the House incredible. When Deputy Kenny became Taoiseach he made a song and dance about treating the House with respect, but things are going in the opposite direction. We have had much discussion about the eurozone but we are getting less and less information.

I asked Question No. 15 because I do not know what is the Government's policy on proposed EU treaty reform. I have some idea what the Taoiseach is against but I have no idea what he is for. Despite the fact that the eurozone is in a full-blown crisis and is weeks, if not days, away from break-up we have no sense of that crisis in this House, in terms of the meat of the issues being discussed at European level or proposed treaty change. In Question No. 18, I asked the Taoiseach to detail the contacts he has had with President Von Rompuy regarding his drafting of proposals for reform of the EU and the eurozone. The Taoiseach simply replied that he is looking forward to meeting him in December. We have no detail of what is actually going on or of the meat of the discussions about treaty change. I do not know the Taoiseach's position.

In replying to Question No. 20 about meeting Chancellor Merkel, the Taoiseach said a stronger role for the European Central Bank might be required. That is a belated conversion to what I have been saying for three or four months. I would agree with limited treaty change to give the ECB a stronger mandate, apart from simply an exclusive mandate on inflation. If the ECB had acted in a more comprehensive and resolute manner we would not be in the full-blown crisis we are in now. The sooner we discuss this here the more real it will become for the people of the country.

The Taoiseach seems to be hoping the Von Rompuy process will run into difficulty in December and, because we are on the sidelines, we will get away with it. We are not contributing to the process. In all the debates to date I have had no sense of any proposals tabled by the Government. I have asked the Taoiseach if he has tabled proposals about treaty change and if he could publish any proposals he has made on the issue to Chancellor Merkel or to President Von Rompuy so we can have a genuine discussion in the House about the various options and whether we are for or against limited or more comprehensive change to enable us to deal with the current crisis. I accept that much can be done within the existing treaty framework.

Will the Taoiseach circulate the documentation sent to the German Parliament to all Members of the House?

See this speech in context