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

Given the ongoing manoeuvrings of Fine Gael and the Labour Party in regard to the election date, it is not yet clear that this is the final discussion on Europe by this Dáil. No doubt, this will once again be played out in a string of anonymous media briefings where leaders will retain the right to publicly deny what they have been saying privately. I hope we will be in a position to discuss the outcome of this summit, which is an extremely important one concerning the future direction of Europe. It will mark an important time in the context of whether Europe decides to stand by its fundamental values or it allows the agenda to be set by extremists.

The summit to be held in February, which might coincide with the holding of our general election, is due to formally decide on a fundamental issue for Ireland, namely, the terms on which Britain will hold its referendum on continued membership of the EU. The Taoiseach and his team will, of course, employ their usual spin and hyperbole and may even pretend that the Taoiseach is leading the negotiations or invent another story, such as the infamous and comprehensively debunked claim that he fought off an ambush in 2011. No doubt Chancellor Merkel will once again be asked to help Fine Gael's campaign. If there is one thing this country does not need, it is more of this nonsense.

For five years the Government has put spin first in everything. When it comes to vital European issues, it has adopted a consistent policy of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for things to turn up for which it might be able to claim credit. This is a time when issues that will shape the economic, social and democratic future of Ireland and the whole of Europe are being decided yet this Government ends its time in office having never produced a statement of its policies. In the context of every significant negotiation in the past five years, the Taoiseach has refused to state his policy in advance, claiming afterwards to have shaped what he always praises as wonderful conclusions. On banking union, ECB powers, debt relief, fiscal controls, migrant policy, Russian aggression, British renegotiation and many other issues, there is no example of this Government having set out clear policy objectives or undertaken any campaign to influence other member states. Instead, we have had the growing influence of domestic party political manoeuvring in policy. This is why, for example, the Taoiseach refuses to state internationally that Ireland's growth is based on the fundamental strengths of the economy developed by the people of this country over many decades. He has also refused, with one exception, when he went off script in Paris three years ago, to state that Ireland was treated unfairly and deserves justice in respect of debts accumulated due to failed and abandoned EU policies. The Taoiseach prefers to talk about his heroic ascent to office, missing the fact that he voted against the majority of measures he now claims credit for and that he waited almost a year before introducing a budget.

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