Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not Sinn Féin's process, it is everybody's process. It belongs to the people of Ireland. A number of aspects of the agreement would concern people. The financial package does not quite add up and there is a bit of play going on in terms of changing six years to four years and taking money from one department to fund another department. In fact, in some respects, the package is less if one looks at the contraction in the number of years. There is a bit of kicking the can down the road in terms of the finances. Would the Taoiseach accept that? Even financing the corporation tax reduction will be left to the Executive. In terms of the welfare package, other departments will have to cough up and there will have to be cuts in other departments.

Of more interest, and I would ask whether the Taoiseach agrees with this, is that for some reason Sinn Féin and the DUP, in an extraordinary Machiavellian manoeuvre, have given power over welfare back to Westminster whereby, without even debate in the Assembly, a motion is passed which says the welfare cuts and the welfare reform package are to be decided in Westminster. The Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, was adamant for the past year that there could be no rowing back on or reversal of devolution. He said it would be unacceptable, but in essence welfare powers have been taken back by London in respect of this package. I do not know whether that is to facilitate Sinn Féin, to spare its blushes and to make it look better, as if it is not doing this but merely facilitating someone else in doing it. That is a very interesting aspect of the agreement and I would like some explanation as to how that came about. I note that the UUP and the SDLP have voted against that.

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