Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I wonder if the Taoiseach has any understanding of the nature of the debate that is opening up in Britain now on the proposal of the Tory Government to hold a referendum on the European Union. Does he understand that a referendum on EU membership is due to be held in Britain by 2017 and that are powerful arguments being put forward by ordinary people there - and working class people in particular - who would vote against the European Union? I wonder if the Taoiseach understands that the manner in which the EU, as part of the troika, attempted to humiliate and cow the people and Government of Greece in recent months, showed the Union as representing the major capitalist financiers within the financial markets of Europe and not the interests of the poor, the working class or the small farming community in Greece.

Does the Taoiseach understand that the British people would be fully justified in drawing the conclusion that the EU is utterly hypocritical when it proclaims in its treaties that it is a zone of solidarity, democratic rights and human rights when it trampled all over the rights of the Greek people and its democracy, for example, and also over the democratic and social rights of the Irish people when it cowed governments like the Taoiseach's to repay the private financiers of Europe for their reckless gambling in the Irish property bubble? Does he understand that he and his Government's shameful and opportunistic support for the troika in attempting to cow the Greek people has strengthened the argument among ordinary people in Britain to oppose the workings of the EU and will be another justification for them opposing it? Has he seen the opinion polls in Britain that show that despite the rantings of the Tory press, substantial cohorts of ordinary people in Britain oppose the neoliberal drive of the EU, particularly in respect of privatisation, and stand for bringing critical services like water, rail and transport into public ownership again?

Is the Taoiseach being informed about the how the debate is shaping up for the referendum campaign ahead? Does he know that socialists and significant elements of the labour movement with a small "L" in Britain are seriously discussing how they will campaign against the right-wing and neoliberal policies of the EU in the referendum and, very importantly, will counterpose to the xenophobia, racism and false right-wing populism of parties like UKIP and the fascist elements in Britain who are attempting to take advantage of the disasters that neoliberal capitalism has inflicted the idea of a really democratic and socialist Europe where real social solidarity can be based on breaking the power of the major corporations, which predominate - all one needs to do is look at Volkswagen and its scandalous carry-on in the past week and the massive tax avoidance of major multinationals operating in Europe and here - and genuine social and democratic ownership of key services in the interests of our people, including a banking industry in the interests of all people? That is the basis on which genuine solidarity can be built among the peoples of Europe. We see the scandalous situation of 25 million Europeans, particularly young people, cast on the stones of unemployment by the type of Europe that the Taoiseach and his colleagues in the EU have created. Those are the terms of a riveting debate that opens up in Britain. I doubt that the Taoiseach is aware of it though.

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