Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Taoiseach is getting better. We have heard a series of speeches this week with claims that the Government had "negotiated" a €10 billion reduction in interest payments while the facts show that it was a pan-European deal which was over four times the size of what Ministers were actually negotiating for.

Tomorrow the Taoiseach will attend a European summit which will take decisions vital to the economic future of Ireland, Europe and perhaps even much of the world. Since the Dáil returned in early September, I have been asking the Taoiseach to outline his position on changes to the economic governance of Europe. Since much earlier, I have been pushing him on the issue of the flawed policies and damaging behaviour of the ECB. On the eve of this vital summit, he still refuses to outline a single proposal he has suggested. He will not circulate the proposals of other countries and he will not say what his negotiating position is, other than in the most banal generalities. The record shows that none of the taoisigh who have discussed major European reforms have ever taken such a dismissive approach to the Dáil and the Irish public. No matter how the Taoiseach is asked questions here, he will not even provide the information being briefed to journalists by his staff.

What is now deeply worrying is that the Taoiseach has signed up to the idea that the core problem for Europe is the need for stronger fiscal controls. This is the very agenda which has turned a challenging situation into a crisis which threatens the future of the euro.

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