Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh Uachtarán Buzek go dtí Seanad Éireann agus Éireann. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sé taitneamh as an turas tábhachtach seo.

President Buzek rightly mentioned the issue of co-operation with the European Union. The European Parliament has a very important role to play in that respect. I am asking this question on behalf of this country's mortgage holders, 50,000 of whom are in arrears. There have been two recent increases in the ECB rate and two more are signalled to come down the road. What role does President Buzek think the European Parliament can play to ensure that in countries like Ireland, which are doing their level best to get through the difficulties with the assistance of their European partners, our citizens will not be hit by excessive interest rate increases? Our base rate in the ECB is 1.5%, while the equivalent in the Bank of England is 0.5%.