Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I again express my sincere condolences, and those of Sinn Féin, to the families of Larry and Martina Hayes, and of Lorna Carty, the three Irish citizens brutally killed in an indiscriminate attack on tourists in Tunisia, which I utterly condemn. I extend condolences to all those, from whatever part of the world they come, who were killed in these attacks, as well as the victims of the attacks in France and Kuwait.

During pre-European Council statements last week, I said that Greece and other highly indebted eurozone countries needed more reforms not more cutbacks. I also called on the Taoiseach to support Greek calls for a reduction in its unsustainable and unfair debt burden, and to support a debt conference. The Taoiseach concluded his remarks by saying that "solidarity and responsibility must continue to guide our approach as we work together for a stable, prosperous and compassionate Union". I pick out of that "solidarity", "responsibility", "prosperous" and "compassionate".

However, last week the Taoiseach stated the Government would not support any debt relief for Greece. He put party political interests ahead of the interests of the people of Greece, of this State and of Europe. It is completely illogical that the Government of a small, highly indebted State, such as this, with an unfair debt burden of its own would not support debt relief for another highly indebted European state with unfair and unsustainable debt. This is an EU crisis, not a Greek crisis. Debt relief benefits the people of Ireland as well as Greece. Economists from the left, right and everywhere in between all agree that Greece needs debt relief.

Last week the Taoiseach claimed that in tackling the economic crisis here the Government did not increase income tax, VAT or PRSI. That is untrue. It raised income and consumption taxes. It also introduced water charges and a property tax. It opted for forced emigration and now, 500,000 of our citizens are scattered across the globe. I do not think the Taoiseach understands the consequences and social difficulties for families and communities for a population of almost 5 million when 500,000 have left in eight years, mostly our young people. One third of our children are living in consistent poverty. The sick and the elderly end up on trolleys instead of hospital beds. These are the people who are paying the price for the Government's austerity policies.

The Government's stance on the Greek debt crisis is destructive of any concept of solidarity, prosperity, community or democracy or of the original ideals which are supposed to underpin the EU project. It is also a matter of deep shame that the Labour Party has descended to the point where its leader spends her time attacking a democratically mandated Government for refusing to accept brutal austerity measures after successive social democratic and right-wing governments in Greece crashed that country's economy by accepting such measures.

While the Tánaiste cuts lone parent's benefit, she wishes to prevent any alternatives to relentless austerity being heard. She also claims that Greece needs to stop lecturing Europe. She has told the Greek Government to shut up and accept austerity and its devastating effects. Not to be outdone, the Fianna Fáil leader's remarks today surpass his usual hyperbole as he attempts to make himself and his party relevant in this debate. Given how his party leaders bankrupted this State after decades of corrupt behaviour and then capitulated to the troika, it is little wonder he engages in abstractions and falsehoods.

The Greek economy has not been crippled by the citizens any more than the citizens in this country were responsible but by a regime of austerity which followed decades of corruption and a lack of regulation. Greece is stuck in a downward spiral of cutting growth and raising debt. The EU institutions are not interested in the slightest about the severe humanitarian crisis in that country. The Government of Greece has argued for growth-led measures that would support the rebuilding of the Greek economy and allow it to meet its credit obligations. However, the significant fiscal adjustments put forward by Greece were rejected by the EU institutions, including our Government. I welcome the decision of the Greek Government to put these issues to its people in a referendum.

I commend the actions of Greece in upholding the principles of democracy in the face of increasing pressure from EU institutions which are holding the citizens of that country to ransom. Neither this Fine Gael-led Government nor the previous Fianna Fáil-led Administration had a mandate to impose vicious cuts to social supports or unfair taxes on low and middle-income families but they did so, contrary to the mandate it received.

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