Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

I wish to share my time with Deputies Finian McGrath, Donnelly and Ross.

Europe is holding its breath today. There are times in history when the fate of millions depends on the actions of a very few people. The Taoiseach will be representing us next week and we depend on him to put our case as strongly as possible on this very serious occasion. It is extremely worrying that the old fault lines of rancour and discord are re-emerging. The inactivity and the paralysis has left a vacuum which is being filled with caustic and destructive cynicism. If evidence were needed, one should look at the statements of both Jürgen Habermas, Germany's foremost philosopher and of Radek Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister to whom Deputy Martin referred in his contribution. Separately and in the strongest terms, they have urged solidarity to prevail against the narrow national interests. This is the approach which the Taoiseach must adopt at the European Council meeting.

Radek Sikorski said:

I demand of Germany that, for your sake and for ours, you help the eurozone survive and prosper. You know full well that nobody else can do it. I will probably be the first Polish Foreign Minister in history to say so, but here it is: I fear German power less than I am beginning to fear German inactivity.

He listed what he termed six harsh realities which Germany needed to deal with. He said that Germany has been and is the biggest beneficiary of the Common Market and the obligation to sustain the Union has fallen to it and it must respond. Germany is not the victim of the periphery's irresponsible economic management.

Its powerhouse banks bought bonds from so-called irresponsible countries' financial institutions in astonishing quantities. Moreover, Germany's borrowing costs have reduced as a result of the crisis and the country will be seriously hurt by a collapse, default or devaluation in a peripheral country's economy. Further, the danger of collapse is much greater than the risk of inflation. Finally, Germany's size and history gives it a special responsibility to preserve peace and democracy.

The foremost German philosopher, Professor Jürgen Habermas, noted in a recent article in Der Spiegel magazine that citizens rather than states have rights. His central point is that solidarity is required. I do not have time to dwell on the article but it is well worth reading. It shows that some in Germany are showing a great deal of thoughtfulness and that the larger issues are being raised.

In an article published in yesterday's edition of The Irish Times, Fintan O'Toole calculated that the combined transfers from all sources from the European Community to Ireland since we joined in 1973 amount to €43 billion. Irish taxpayers transferred €47 billion to Anglo Irish Bank alone despite not having any liability to do so. German banks were exposed to Irish bank loans to the tune of €103 billion under the blanket guarantee. Is it surprising that Germany wanted Irish taxpayers to repay its banks? Not only are we doing so but they are being repaid with interest. The equivalent of all the moneys Ireland received from the European Community in the past 20 years has been transferred to Anglo Irish Bank alone. We need to get angry, not because it is a good negotiating tactic but because we are entitled to be angry. Next week, the Government must act as an equal partner rather than as a subservient spectator. The message it is giving is that it will play the latter role.

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