Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I will give a word of advice to the Government through the Leader. It is not the Government's job to pressurise the people on behalf of Europe, but to pressurise Europe on behalf of the Irish people. When I heard of the comment of the Minister for Finance, it struck me that it was a comment very much in the tradition of the kind of spinning that has gone on over the years with regard to referendums on Europe and decisions to be made about European affairs. In other words, the approach that has always been taken has been to find the best way to get the people to do what the Government wants them to do. That is not good enough in the current crisis. What is needed is a much more considered approach. We need to decide as a country what it is practical for us to achieve in our ongoing dealings, not just with the IMF but with the European Union. Only then should the Government come to a recommendation and make a proposal to the people. I do not like this advance spinning on the issue and anything that suggests this will be a referendum on whether we are in or out of the euro comes under the heading of spin.

While I recognise that many difficult decisions are being taken and many people will inevitably be unfairly targeted by budgetary measures, the abolition of the modern languages in primary schools initiative is a mistake.