Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Europe is in the middle of the largest economic, social and political crisis since the Second World War. Last week, its leaders met and again failed to show the ambition or urgency that are so badly needed. No significant step forward was taken on a single matter. The final communiqué is a long repetition of statements that have been made previously, with a number of small exceptions representing areas where backward steps have been taken. The summit has been followed by near panic as the ongoing strategy of over-spinning everything and failing to undertake serious negotiations threatens to undo completely Ireland's interests. The rearguard action of recent days has done nothing to challenge the basic fact that the supposed campaign for debt relief for Ireland has been nothing of the sort.

Thankfully, the Taoiseach has finally put aside his partisan obsessions and shown a willingness to state publicly what he rejected previously, namely, that Ireland incurred significant debts solely as a result of the lack of European Union policies and because it showed solidarity with the rest of Europe. On Monday, he stated: "Ireland was the first and only county which had a European position imposed upon it, in the sense that there wasn't an opportunity if the Government wished to do it their way by burning bondholders." He is correct on this matter and it is a great pity it has taken him more than a year and a half to say this. Who knows how much he previously set back our case through his unwillingness to make this admission? Despite the Taoiseach's spin, the truth has become obvious. A policy of sitting on the sidelines and hoping something will turn up and failing to speak to people before summits or even state his specific negotiating objective does not amount to a campaign.

The Taoiseach stated the summit agreed to implement fully the deal agreed in June. In fact, it stepped back from the June deal. He did not outline in any specific way what the deal means because he does not know what it is and there is no agreement among member states as to what exactly it means. While it was important and is full of general commitments to actions which are badly needed, nearly every element of the specifics remains to be agreed. This is the reason there have been months of confusion.

It is rich for the Taoiseach to blame the Opposition for the events of last Thursday, Friday and the weekend. It was Chancellor Merkel's comments after the summit that created considerable doubt.

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