Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Nolan and O'Donoghue.

Cá bhfuil an Taoiseach? Cad a dhéanfaimid feasta gan adhmad? On Questions on Promised Legislation, the Taoiseach wanted to know what planet I was on. He is not even here to listen to the debate. Another Deputy is correct that they always leave before we speak. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, is here.

The EU 27 member states signed off on a €1.8 trillion package to fund spending over the next seven years. It is obvious, however, that we did not come out well from it. The Taoiseach stated the package will stand Europe in good stead in the future. Good man. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, said it is true that we will pay more than we will receive and it is difficult to estimate how much we will contribute. However, it will be substantial. If I came home from the mart and told the wife that I sold the cattle but did not know for how much, I would not only be laughed at but told I was not going again.

While the figures are hard to find, German media have reported the figures on the EU budget for the next seven years. It lists Ireland as the fifth highest contributor to the EU with a net contribution of €15.7 billion over the next seven years. That is pretty stark. Only four countries, Germany, France, Holland and Sweden, are to contribute more than us. Our contribution as a percentage of GDP makes us the second highest contributor for every man woman and child in this State, only ahead of Luxembourg.

Over the weekend, there were many criticisms of the frugal four countries. They were right and stood up to fight for themselves. We are the good boys in Europe, however. We are the lackeys who accept everything and nod.

They got major write-downs in respect of what they were supposed to pay and we got nothing. For being the good boy in class, we probably got sweets. My goodness. Of the top five contributors, three - Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden - received significant write-downs on their contributions because they are frugal countries. They kicked up and rattled the cage. When we go to Europe, our duty is to rattle the cage and to fight for Ireland, not to adore the prima donnas of the European project and be told how good we are and how strong our economy is. It is bluff and bluster. Ask those who are on the dole or homeless. Ask the farmers who are struggling. CAP will be decimated too.

I will not be all negative. There have been good things. Earlier, the Taoiseach told me about all the money we got from Europe over the past 40 years. We did, but that is like talking about the choc ice we had at lunch yesterday or the dinner we had an hour ago. It is gone and done. It is the future that I am worried about. We were crippled by the so-called bailout. It was not a bailout, it was a total clean-out. We knew there was no solidarity then. They kicked us in the teeth and we lay down. We are still lying down and accepting what we get.

The European project is in choppy waters. Anyone watching can see that. The big countries fight for their rights if they do not want to do something. They got write-downs. Every man, woman and child in Ireland will repay contributions of €3,201, which is almost twice as much as people in Germany will pay and three times what the French, who will only contribute €780 each, will pay. There is something really bad in that.

The Acting Chairman was over in that corner last week when-----

See this speech in context