Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Could I answer the question please? The point that was being made is a correct one. There is an obligation on politicians in this House who did form part of the debate during the fiscal stability referendum and who made claims and promises that there was an alternative route to the one we took as a people three or four years ago to recover our economy. The reality is that the position taken by the Syriza-like Sinn Féin Party and many Independents, including our own grouping, would have caused enormous difficulty and suffering for the Irish people if we had gone down that route. Having been in Brussels for most of last week, there is a very strong solidarity and compassion from all governments in Europe for the Greek people and the difficulties they are suffering but there must also be a political reality. That must be borne by the Greek Government, which must do what we did in this country, namely, to engage with the citizens of the European Union who are lending money from their own exchequers and resources in solidarity and support, in order that where necessary the reprofiling measures would be put in place and would deliver on returning the Greek economy to growth.

That is what we did in this country and that is the fundamental difference from the point made by Deputy Donnelly, who was largely correct in his analysis that what Ireland did should be what Greece should seek to achieve. The difference is that the changes we made to our programme were done through negotiation. However, we also made the case to the institutions that the changes would be to the benefit of the economy in terms of creating jobs and growth. That argument has not been made in respect of Greece, largely through lack of engagement, but it is the belief of the institutions and the other members of the Eurogroup that the measures currently proposed by the Greek Government will run contrary to the ambition of achieving growth. It is fair and reasonable that the countries, economies and governments that are lending money should at a minimum believe there is some hope that the measures will in fact be in the best interests of the Greek people, whereas in reality the belief is that they will run contrary to that ambition.

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