Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome President Schulz to Ireland and Dáil Éireann. All of us, as European citizens, have much of which to be proud. There has been relative peace across the Continent for decades now for the first time in a long time and a growth in Europe's voice on critical issues such as inequality, social justice, climate change and so on. Unfortunately, the current economic crisis, in particular the manner in which European leaders and certain European institutions have responded to it, has fundamentally challenged the solidarity upon which Europe is built, as referred to earlier by President Schulz. The President's speech today and previous statements by him which I have read highlight the work he is doing for Europe and Ireland, for which I, as a Member of Parliament in Ireland, thank him.

I would like to use this opportunity to add the following point to the conversation on Ireland and Europe. Ireland never received a bailout and is not looking for one. However, we do need our €64 billion returned to ensure our recovery.

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