Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy Catherine Murphy on bringing forward this motion in a timely fashion. It is causing deep embarrassment to the Government and I congratulate her on that too. Debt is probably the debate of the decade. This is the big problem which will haunt us for years to come but has already haunted us for four or five years. The Government’s reluctance to debate or talk about it is very telling.

The mention of a debt conference which sounds so innocent is very threatening. Those who say it is code for debt relief or debt forgiveness are right. That is what will be sought from a debt conference. That is what the Greeks are looking for and what Ireland should look for from such a conference.

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