Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Despite the Taoiseach's efforts, I can learn a great deal from this answer. In reply to Deputy Finian McGrath, the Taoiseach stated that, if the Irish Government was as powerful as the Deputy suggested, it would have dealt with the troika very effectively. Implicitly, the Government has not dealt with the troika very effectively. More importantly, there is some evidence of a little bit of an inferiority complex. This Government has the same rights and entitlements as the government of any other state dealing with these issues.

I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach has met many of his counterparts informally, spoken with them via telephone or written to them, but does the Government agree with sanctions being imposed on member states that surpass the 0.5% deficit requirement? Does it not know that the austerity budgets that must be implemented by this and other states must continue beyond 2015, the year required by our EU-IMF programme, and past the Government's term? It might even be generational. What is the Government's position on these possible sanctions and has it made its position clear?

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