Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The Taoiseach might get some relief but really he is kicking a ball down the road. Our great-great grandchildren will have to pay this debt as opposed to our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. Does the Spanish Government's unilateral decision and the Finance Minister's compromise not make a nonsense of this austerity treaty? Is it not clear from this one example that the deficit demands being made in the treaty are impractical? If, as he says, a big country with lots of collateral, cannot pay, then how can a small State like this pay, considering the difficulties we face? How can the Taoiseach expect to make this a constitutional imperative on the citizens of this State?

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