Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

It was said about the treaty of Limerick that it was broken "ere the ink wherewith 'twas writ could dry". That was all the way back in 1691. I am afraid this morning that the fiscal treaty is in the same lamentable state. What is the Government going to do about the European Stability Mechanism Bill - known as the fiscal responsibility Bill - which enshrines the austerity treaty, in view of the comment by the new French Minister for finance this morning that the treaty will not be ratified as is?

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