Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

There are already indications that the deal on the IBRC which the Taoiseach trumpeted as historic will face objections from Germany in particular and possibly elsewhere, and that the Government will not be allowed to in any way attempt to use the claimed savings to the State of €1 billion next year and €1 billion the year after to pull back or alleviate in any way the austerity which has been imposed or which the Government plans to impose under troika arrangements or as conditions or targets of the fiscal treaty. Has this been indicated to the Taoiseach? Was it indicated at the December summit? Will our EU so-called "partners", particularly Germany, prevent the Government passing on any benefit of the supposedly historic deal on Anglo Irish Bank to citizens who are being hammered with austerity? Will the Taoiseach clarify this? If this is not the case will the Taoiseach clarify precisely what benefits can be passed on to ordinary citizens to alleviate the burden of cuts and austerity, or using the extra savings the Taoiseach claims to have as a result of the deal for financing a stimulus jobs programme or a programme of economic growth? The President of the ECB, Mario Draghi, is now discussing possible legal problems with the IBRC deal, and even the possibility of legal action being taken if the deal breaches ECB rules on monetary financing. Will the Taoiseach clarify whether this was discussed with him previously? Was it signalled this might happen? Did the Taoiseach fully proof the deal to ensure it would withstand any such legal challenges from the ECB or any other quarter in terms of its legality under ECB or European regulations?

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