Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)

Sinn Féin is not happy that four diverse issues have been lumped together in this Bill. However, we agree with each of the proposals and will accept them. It is ironic they have been lumped together, even though it was not planned like this. One proposal is to provide for a permanent emergency funding mechanism and reflects the failure of European monetary union, the failure of solidarity, the failure of the structure to deal with the crisis, the failure of those in the banking sector to take responsibility for the crisis they created and the failure to restructure the banking and financial sector. As we speak, the Spanish Government and the Spanish people will be given money to bail out their banks without any rigorous stress testing of the banking sector. The same mistakes have been repeated and they do not meet their responsibilities. It is ironic that we have that provision in the amendment as well as the accession of Croatia.

Good luck to Croatia, which is very welcome. It has been a long journey for its people to get to this point. What kind of European Union is Croatia entering and what kind of solidarity can it expect when a potential crisis emerges? The Irish people were saddled with banking debt that will have an impact on generations, with no answer to our difficulties. If that experience is anything to go by, this is a difficult time for Croatia to enter the Union.

On a hopeful note, we need to go back to basics. The European Union project has many positive elements, such as the binding together of peoples who were in an awful conflict. Croatia is part of the Balkans and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo gave birth to the dreadful First World War and, because lessons were not learned from mistakes, the devastation of the dreadful Second World War followed. The hopeful project of the European Union followed and included social Europe, women's rights, environmental legislation, equality and human rights. All of these have been achieved and there has been solidarity at times. The project has potential to be a great, hopeful project but this is not a good time for it. With the exception of Croatia, it might remind us to go back to what the project was supposed to be about. With that positive development next year, it might focus our minds on what we need to do in Europe and what solidarity means. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak and we will support the four items in the Bill.

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