Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

A question in almost all conversations throughout the land today is why it is that the Taoiseach and his colleagues in Fine Gael and the Labour Party are pressing the people to change the Constitution to facilitate policies that are inflicting more and more misery on our people. Last week, the Irish League of Credit Unions published the results of a survey that showed that 47% of Irish homes had but €100 to spend following the payment of expected bills on a monthly basis. The Government is imposing more stealth taxes and charges on these same families. It is cutting health, education and social welfare, even for people with disabilities and special needs, a number of whom protested outside the gates of this building yesterday. Without question, this is austerity in action and the Taoiseach is presiding over it. This approach is not working. We have growing unemployment and significant emigration. Make no mistake, we have a stagnant economy.

Will the Taoiseach withdraw the bogus threat that in the event of our voting "No" to the austerity treaty on 31 May, we will no longer be able to access funding under the ESM? This is the only argument I have heard from Government voices with regard to this treaty. Will the Taoiseach admit to the House that this threat and blackmail clause is not part of the austerity treaty on which we will vote on 31 May but is part of another treaty, the ESM treaty, over which the Government has the power of veto and which it can block.

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