Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

There are people who want to see this country fail, who want to see this Government fail, and who are not prepared to play a part in the recovery of the country. These are the facts, irrespective of whether people like them. This treaty has three main provisions which relate to the balanced budget rule, the debt brake rule and the arrangements of the eurozone governments. Let us have a debate on the issue of the treaty, not on ideology, not on bogs, not on septic tanks, not on water meters, but on the treaty and on Europe. Let us have that debate. Much of this treaty is already in place. Crucially, however, the treaty addresses one of the major failure of the Stability and Growth Pact, because large member states will no longer be permitted to avoid the consequences of breaching the rules by ganging up to out vote the smaller member states. That is important. It is important that the same rules apply to Ireland as apply to Germany or to France.

There have been many comments on the European Stability Mechanism and the member states. Deputy Donnelly has a viewpoint. The reality is that there is a guaranteed fund available for emergency loans to countries which need financial assistance. We must ratify the treaty. We have an obligation to do so. Our Government's expressed intention is that we will not need access to he European Stability Mechanism in the future, but we need to have that availability open to us. The ability to access the fund is an important insurance policy. I would like to ask a question of the Members opposite who are opposed to whatever their ideology stands against. Where would we be as a country if we did not have access to the EU, the IMF and the ECB?

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