Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The reason direct payments to children are so high in relative terms in this State is that the provision of basic public services is so appallingly bad.

I mentioned earlier the issue of reclaiming our sovereignty, and the Taoiseach reflected that language back to me. I was simply reminding the Taoiseach that that was the headline claim he made when he announced the exit from the bailout programme. It is necessary to point out that far from a restoration of full sovereignty, what people are facing into next autumn is yet another austerity cutback budget to the tune of €2 billion.

The Taoiseach made some references in his responses to the issue of bank recapitalisation. He recalled again the statement of June last year. I believe at that time we had the reassurance that we were special, and that our banks were a special case. The Taoiseach has indicated today that he does not envisage the ESM being functional until the second half of 2014. Given that, can he tell us when he envisages Ireland having a decision? When might we expect to see our special status come to fruition and some level of retrospective recapitalisation of our financial institutions?

On the issue of youth unemployment and the youth guarantee, which we could discuss at some length if we had the time, I was disturbed to hear the Taoiseach state, quite deliberately, that the young people who have left by choice might have the opportunity to come back. In my certain knowledge, the majority of people have not left by choice.

Deputy Adams had tabled a question regarding the Taoiseach's dialogue with Prime Minister Cameron. Can the Taoiseach tell the House the engagement he has had with Prime Minister Cameron specifically on the issue of the Haass process and his consideration of flags, emblems, parades and the past?

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