Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

It should not be conditional on us signing-up to legally binding austerity for ever and a day. Austerity is precisely what makes our situation worse. Austerity is stamping out demand in the local economy. Pretty much every economic indicator proves that austerity is not working. Specifically, what the Government is doing in the forthcoming referendum is putting such an austerity measure into the Constitution. If the Labour Party and Fine Gael Members of this House are "devious operators" they are well aware of all the facts I have outlined and are consciously choosing to tie their own hands and undermine the ability of the public to select an alternative in future elections.

If they are deluded fools we cannot afford for them to remain so. I would advise all Members of the Government parties to check out progressive economist Michael Taft's blog "Notes on the Front" and they might learn something before it is too late. The Government must do the right thing and not pre-empt the people. It should delay the European Stability Mechanism Bill and the European Communities Act (Amendment) Bill until after the referendum.

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