John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As this is the first time I have had the opportunity to meet the Taoiseach in the Chamber since his election, I congratulate him and wish him well in all his endeavours in the time ahead. I also congratulate the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on his recent promotion to a new role at the heart of what he terms to be the economic engine of Europe. In his own words and those of the Government, he assumes his role with a pledge to fight Ireland's corner in Europe and being freshly possessed with an infusion of assumed attributes which he believes mark him out as one of the shining lights of the Government. It gives me pause for thought. Given the difficulties with a certain project here at home, I wonder if the Taoiseach might consider the possibility of charging the Minister for Finance with responsibility for the completion of the national children's hospital, as it appears to be beyond the abilities of both the former and current Ministers for Health.

The forthcoming European Council meeting has potentially massive implications for this country. That this is a small country which has had to face two serious crises in the space of ten years and now waits to face the implications for this island of the folly that is Tory Brexit is well ingrained in all our minds.

I cannot say with conviction, however, that the same is true of our colleagues in Brussels. Under the original proposal, Ireland would receive less than one quarter of 1% of the overall fund. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has spoken in the past week of how we have entered into the worst recession in 100 years, an economic forecast that predicts an 8% contraction in the year ahead, with the probability of only a partial rebound in the following year. Within this, President von der Leyen speaks of the themes of togetherness and solidarity, sentiments I applaud but which were sadly absent when Ireland was left to shoulder an unequal burden during the financial crisis of a decade ago. The mendacity of the banks revealed in the past week reminds us of the need for constant vigilance over the financial sector - a decade and a bailout later and still nothing but contempt for the Irish people. When President von der Leyen speaks of the fears of youth unemployment across Europe, of young people leaving in droves to find jobs elsewhere, it is all too painfully familiar for us in Ireland. Recently, when our airwaves were inundated with heartbreaking stories of how our young people in Australia and elsewhere were struggling to get home, we were again reminded of the ongoing price the lost generation is forced to pay.

Europe must be made to hear our pain, a pain which does not echo in the columns of the spreadsheets that give the detail of our economic performance. The fears of small businesses up and down this country cannot be reduced to quantitative terms. Ireland has more than earned its right to a fair and equitable share of the recovery fund. While I welcome the €5 billion reserve to address the impact of Brexit, we must resist any attempts to conflate the Brexit fund with the next generation fund. When the European Council President, Charles Michel, talks of repairing the damage caused by Covid-19 or reforming our economies and remodelling our societies, we must point to the damage wrought on our society and our economy not just by the pandemic but also by a decade of austerity, with a health system that was on the point of being completely overwhelmed before we had even heard of Covid-19, a housing crisis impacting on family organisation and social structures in a way perhaps not seen since the 19th century and, again, the pain of emigration. We must fight for every single cent we can take back from Europe.

I wish the Taoiseach better luck than the last Fianna Fáil Taoiseach, who went to Europe looking for a deal but ended up taking home the troika.

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