Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

We are very conscious of the very important meeting taking place today in Berlin between the Taoiseach, the German premier and her Minister for Finance. We wish them well because we hope the Taoiseach can get across to them the need for greater flexibility in the implementation of our reform programme. It is important that they be sensitised to the need to maintain public support for the reforms necessary. Perhaps most important, I wish them well in dealing with proposals regarding oversight of national budgets. This is at the heart of the matter as regards securing the future of the euro.

I spoke on the question of the embassy yesterday. I say seriously to everybody, in the knowledge that there is concern on both sides, that a very senior, superb diplomat - the most senior man in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. David Cooney - has been appointed and should be allowed to exercise his diplomatic functions. He will be in the Holy See once a month and is the ambassador. He will, perhaps, spend weekends there. This can be resolved and restored rather quickly but he must take it up with the secretary of state. Senators should be patient. We are a small country in economic difficulties and this is being forced on us.