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

-----even if others will so do during the debate.

As legislators, it is the job of Members to address each measure to the best of their abilities as it comes before them. I accept the point made by Deputy Donnelly that each of us, as an individual, has that responsibility. Even when the circumstances are so exceptional as they are this evening and while the Government has the majority to push through the legislation, there remains a duty on every Member to consider the issue and to push aside political considerations. One could easily go against this legislation from the Opposition perspective in the knowledge that the Government clearly has the numbers to pass the measure. However, in my view that would not be the honourable approach to take.

One must examine the legislation, the rationale and the Minister's statement on the risks to which the State is exposed and then act accordingly. Some Members of the Government, albeit not all, are clearly in the middle of executing a public relations strategy to try to regain lost support. However, that is no basis for anyone to decide on how to vote on this legislation. Equally, the Opposition has a responsibility to accept there are situations in which emergency legislation is required and grandstanding on both sides helps no one. As I stated earlier today, everyone supports a deal to lighten the impact of banking debt on Ireland. Deputy Michael McGrath has outlined the details and issues that should be addressed in respect of a comprehensive deal on Ireland's bank debt, particularly the fundamental issue of the separation of sovereign debt from banking debt but other issues as well. Members have been told this is part of a solution but have been provided no detail in this regard. They learned last year in particular that any claim by the Government to have secured dramatic progress must be examined in detail before it can be believed.

According to reports, the Governor of the Central Bank is continuing his negotiations with colleagues on the ECB Council. Members may know more at 1 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. His technical and negotiating skills are considerable and he has worked tirelessly even in the face of the headwinds caused by Ministers' grandstanding in the media. I continue to wish Governor Honohan well in his work on Ireland's behalf. The Government has placed enormous faith in Governor Honohan and I remind the Taoiseach it was Governor Honohan who stated, not just in the context of the Nyberg report but in another report, that without a bank guarantee, the impact would have been catastrophic. These are the words of the person-----

See this speech in context