Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

It beggars belief that the Tánaiste is trying to push through the legislation on the ESM in a single day. He cannot say with hand on his heart that he believes the people, or most Deputies, have fully debated and understand the content of the European Stability Mechanism Bill and the severe consequences it may have for them, given that, even by the Government's admission in the past week or two, it is highly likely that on exiting the EU-IMF programme we will be forced into an ESM programme that will be equally as austere and have equally as strict conditions. It will affect in a serious way the citizens of Ireland and could cost them €11 billion or more. The body will not be subject to scrutiny, be it legal, public, political or otherwise. It is difficult to imagine legislation that is more important than this Bill, given that it could dictate the fate of citizens for quite a few years to come. Despite this, the Tánaiste is proposing to ram it through in a single day which is absolutely unacceptable. I appeal to him, in the interests of democracy and ensuring the public has full knowledge of the fate that awaits it if we are forced into the ESM, to lift the guillotine and allow a full airing of all the issues surrounding the mechanism.

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