Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Once again we meet in this Chamber before a European Council summit. I wish the Taoiseach and his officials every success in the difficult negotiations that lie ahead. I think that sentiment will be shared by all parties, groups and individuals in this House. I ask the Taoiseach to stand up for Ireland and its people, many of whom are being crippled by austerity and are hanging off a financial cliff by their fingernails. Irish citizens want him to fight more aggressively for a deal that will separate sovereign debt from the private debt that is being loaded on the shoulders of hard-pressed taxpayers. The actions of the Greek Government, in securing a new partial deal on its debt, have shown there is real scope for countries to secure a write-down on debt. It is clear from the Greek case that a Government that negotiates strongly can receive a deal on its debt. Like the previous speakers, I would like to know the Government's negotiating strategy. What outcome does it expect from these negotiations? What is the specific timeframe under which it is operating? Does the Taoiseach agree that it would be much better to secure a deal before Ireland assumes the EU Presidency? I accept that is unlikely to happen.

This Government was elected on the back of promises that were made to an electorate that expected and demanded a new approach. We have seen very little that is new in this Government's approach or its policies. Its negotiating strategy seems to be going nowhere. This Government has not brought about any significant change in the well-being of the Irish economy. It has consistently failed to deliver a deal to remove the burden of private banking debt from the shoulders of taxpayers. That burden is not what the people of Ireland want. That is not the mandate for which the Government was elected. Ireland's private and public debt is unsustainable - it is that simple. Irish taxpayers are rightly incensed and outraged at being asked to fund payouts for unsecured bondholders.

Will the Taoiseach be adopting a new approach? Will he be arguing for debt write-off and a substantial stimulus package to create jobs and growth?

People across Europe are concerned about the increased federalism of Europe. They feel their countries are rapidly losing sovereignty, with the EU becoming more autocratic and dictatorial and less democratic. Many Government MEPs voted in favour of a motion which called for a leap towards a federal union in Strasbourg last week. Does the Government share these views and will this significant departure be discussed at the Council meeting?

Yesterday, I heard from European Movement Ireland, which gave an accountability report for 2011 tracking Ireland's engagement with the EU. Ministers' attendance is up, as one would expect given that the root of many of our problems lies with the EU and its policies. The report is critical, however, of Irish MEPs' engagement and particularly their input at the pre-legislative phase. It suggests that they appear to arrive at the debate when it is already half over, or not at all. Their weak engagement seems to mirror that of the Government in Europe, engaging with the EU on key issues too late, or not at all.

Lack of accountability is becoming a real problem for citizens across the Union. I recently met some British MPs who said the Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, will make a keynote statement in January. Many believe this will be a game changer for Britain and will signal its withdrawal from the EU. Is the Taoiseach aware of this pending statement? Has he considered the potentially serious implications this will have for Ireland and particularly the potential difficulties this will cause in Border regions? There is a strong view not only across the British Labour Party but also among Conservative Party members that this will happen sooner rather than later. It will have serious implications for Irish people on both sides of the Border and will also have an effect on Ireland's relations with the EU.

I am disappointed the EU has given the green light to a free trade agreement with Colombia. All major trade unions in Latin America, most of the human rights and environmental organisations and many parliamentarians have come out against this free trade agreement. We know Colombia is the most dangerous place on earth to be a trade unionist. Yet the Colombian authorities have offered nothing but weak promises on the issue of workers and human rights. Those forces in Colombia which are committed to democratic and peaceful change need support from the outside world. This agreement is seen by many, particularly during these sensitive times when negotiations are ongoing between the Colombian Government and one of the rebel groups, as rubber-stamping human rights abuses, and it will have a negative impact on the push for civic society to be involved in negotiations and to bring about positive change in regard to land reform and so on.

With regard to the Palestinian situation, will the Taoiseach raise the issue of Israeli decision to create new settlement colonies in the West Bank? Some 3,000 new illegal settlement homes are due to be built in the highly contentious E1 zone of the West Bank. Existing Israeli settlements currently form a near-complete ring around East Jerusalem. E1 is the last gap in the ring. If Netanyahu builds on E1, it will seal off East Jerusalem and split the West Bank in half. This means any future Palestinian state would lose its ancient capital, which puts a two-state solution in real jeopardy. While the EU will probably use strong rhetoric and criticise Israel, will the Taoiseach argue in favour of the EU's introducing concrete punitive measures such as banning goods from illegal Israeli settlement colonies in the West Bank? I believe such a ban would help stop the spread of illegal settlements, as the EU is already a major trading partner of Israel. It would also send out a very strong signal that Ireland and Europe will not stand by while Israel continually breaks international law and commits human rights abuses in the occupied territories.

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