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

It is very clear from the Taoiseach's answers that the sub-committee on European affairs was not directly involved in the decision not to seek a conditional credit line. I repeat what I said earlier, that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, did say to the Irish Independent in September that he was seeking a €10 billion credit line. This was not general talk about what the Government had to spend or would need to secure. It was said very clearly that the Minister was seeking a €10 billion credit line, which the Taoiseach publicly supported at the time. The Taoiseach and the Minister have changed their positions since, as they are entitled to do. In changing that position the Taoiseach, the Minister and others weighed up the pros and cons of the decision, with the key issue being the impact of any credit line on the cost of borrowing in the next few years. The simple question was whether the impact would be positive or negative and how it would affect our debt levels.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, said last week that he would publish all of the documentation that had informed that decision, that is, the decision taken by the Government. I am not talking about general memoranda or documentation pertaining to what Europe or the EMS has. I am talking about the analysis the Government undertook to inform its decision not to seek a credit line. The Minister said on Sean O'Rourke's radio programme that he would publish that documentation. He said he would have absolutely no difficulty in publishing it. I ask the Taoiseach to confirm that the Government will publish it.

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