Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Aontaím leis an méid a dúirt an Teachta Ferris. Sinn Féin is an internationalist party and our republicanism is a European and internationalist philosophy. Cooperation with our European partners is essential if the State is to meet the economic and social challenges facing us in the time ahead but Sinn Féin believes in a different type of European Union, a union of equals, not a union in which the bigger states impose their decisions on smaller states. Creideann Sinn Féin nach bhfuil an Rialtas seo, díreach cosúil leis an Rialtas deireanach, ag déanamh go leor ar son chearta shaoránaigh na tíre seo.

The eurozone crisis is part of a deeper crisis within international capitalism. The treaty is the French and German strategy for tackling this crisis but in a way that favours big business and the wealthy, and that protects the interests of the larger states. Sinn Féin believes the austerity treaty will not solve the eurozone crisis or fix the economy of this state; creidimid an mhalairt - táimid cinnte go mbeidh tionchar níos measa ag an gconradh seo ar Éirinn agus ar an Eoraip.

The Government tried very hard to deny citizens their right to vote on this treaty. It sought and secured changes to the final draft of the treaty in a brazen attempt to avoid a referendum. This failed, however, and the people now have an opportunity on 31 May to reject what is a bad deal. Having lost the referendum argument, the Government has now fallen back again on more traditional methods of winning a "Yes" vote. As with the referendum debates on Lisbon and Nice, the Government and Fianna Fáil have resorted to trying to scare and to bully citizens.

Once again the claim is being made that this vote is about staying in the European Union or the eurozone or leaving. This is not true. Ireland's position as a member of the eurozone is secure no matter what position we take on the austerity treaty. The Government parties and Fianna Fáil also claim that if we reject the treaty, the State will be excluded from future help from the European Stability Mechanism. This is also not true.

This has been referred to as a blackmail clause. It is also an empty threat to bully people into supporting the austerity treaty. This clause is not an article of the ESM treaty. It is part of the preamble and therefore does not have any legal standing, particularly if it is in conflict with the primary mandate of the European Stability Mechanism as outlined in Article 136 of the EU treaties. This clearly states that no member state can be denied funding if to do so threatens the stability of the Eurozone as whole. The Government also has a veto on the ESM, by virtue of having a veto over the amendment to Article 136 of the European treaties. If the austerity treaty is rejected by the citizens, the Government should seek a further amendment to the ESM treaty removing the blackmail clause and should use its veto on this matter if required.

There are options, and the threats now being made are as bogus as were the promises during the Lisbon treaty campaign that passing that treaty would create jobs. Since that treaty was passed, 170,000 jobs have been lost. The reason for such scare-mongering by the Government parties is that they are unable to find a single positive reason for the Irish people to support the austerity treaty.

There are very many good reasons, however, for believing the austerity treaty is neither a good deal for the State, for citizens or for Europe. We have rehearsed the argument that the treaty will rigidly impose an austerity strategy that is failing across Europe. We have examined an tslí ina bhfuil siad in ann é a dhéanamh and the dire social consequences of austerity are to be found in every corner of this State, in every household struggling to pay mortgages and household bills, on every main street where businesses are shutting down and in every hospital and school where reduced resources are hurting the sick and the young.

We saw the pitiable pictures today, in the newspapers and on YouTube, of an elderly couple being evicted from their home. All of this is the product of austerity which, plainly and clearly, does not work.

The treaty will hand over significant control of fiscal and budgetary matters to unelected EU officials. Whatever view a citizen takes of this or any other Government, at least by virtue of universal franchise, citizens can change the Government. In every election we can make Governments and other parties democratically accountable. However, we cannot do this with EU officials who are not elected by Irish citizens and cannot be held accountable by them. Moreover, if the treaty is passed, the new 0.5% of gross domestic product structural deficit provision will constitutionally lock this and future Governments into austerity policies in perpetuity. Ciallaíonn é seo níos mó gearrú siar do na seirbhísí poiblí agus níos mó cánacha. If a future Government, one which was truly radical, sensible and realistic, were to opt for a different path, this treaty gives the European Court of Justice the power to impose fines of up to €160 million. So much for our sovereignty and the Taoiseach's claim that he wishes be the Taoiseach "who retrieves Ireland's economic sovereignty." Leis an conradh seo tugann sé níos mó d'ár gceannasacht dóibh.

Sinn Féin has argued consistently - the Labour Party did the same in opposition - that there are alternatives to the Government's focus on bank bailouts and austerity. The focus, clearly, must be on investment, growth and job creation. The Sinn Féin approach is based on fair taxes, investing in job creation, debt restructuring and growing the all-Ireland economy. It is about protecting public services and those on low and middle incomes. Sinn Féin has called for an increase in the lending capacity of the European Investment Bank to stimulate activity in the real economy; the cleansing of the European banking system of toxic debts; debt restructuring agreements involving debt write-downs; and ending the obligation on the State to pay the Anglo Irish Bank promissory note and unguaranteed senior bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank and other banks.

For these reasons and because there is an alternative, the austerity treaty must be opposed. Its debt and deficit limits are draconian. It will mean decades of austerity imposed on a people crying out for investment in job creation and growth. It means citizens will continue to pay for the greed of bankers and the bad policies of the former Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government. This is wrong. The Labour Party and Fine Gael have robbed themselves of any right to criticise the previous Government in view of how they are pursuing that Government's policies. In fairness, Fine Gael is pursuing its conservative right-wing ideology, although I am sure some members of that party have reservations about the issues involved in the treaty which some of them voiced in an earlier debate. Not that long ago Labour Party MEPs voted against measures in the European Parliament that are now part of this treaty. One Labour Party MEP described austerity as a "a recipe for the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer." Another said these measures "will kill growth, destroy jobs and derail recovery." They are right. I appeal to Labour Party Deputies to vote with their consciences and in solidarity with working people and against the Bill and the treaty.

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