Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business. While I applaud Senator Martin Conway's interest in Aung San Suu Kyi, those of us who are here long enough are aware that her name has been mentioned in this House for more than 15 years. I assume the non-governmental organisation to which the Senator referred is Burma Action Ireland, in which several Members have been involved. That body is to be commended for its persistent and extraordinary work on this issue, including at a time when its cause was not popular. It has played an enormous part in informing the general public to the point where people now understand Aung San Suu Kyi's ongoing contribution to the restoration of democracy in Burma.

There have been media reports in recent days on remarks made by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, indicating her astonishment that people should be critical of hard times, austerity and cutbacks. The Irish people do not need lectures from Chancellor Merkel about hard times. Just as we endured a series of hard times in the last 800 years and more, we will also come through our current difficulties. Instead of lecturing us, Chancellor Merkel should look to the banks in her own country. Moreover, she would be better occupied in dropping her opposition to the issuing of eurobonds to the European Central Bank, a move which would remove the crippling and unsustainable bank debt that will otherwise bring this country down. One may call such moves by any name one likes - debt forgiveness or otherwise - but unless and until that debt bank is removed we will not overcome our difficulties. The bottom line is that this debt was generated by German banks which handed out money like confetti to financial institutions throughout Europe, yet the Germans have the temerity to suggest the Irish people should seek not only to bridge the deficit gap in day-to-day spending which is what the Government is attempting to do and what its predecessor also sought to do, but, in addition, to also take on this burden of bank debt. This is the one issue that keeps coming up on the doorsteps in the course of my campaigning for a "Yes" vote in the forthcoming referendum. The degree of hostility to the banking sector in this country and Europe generally is a far greater cause for concern regarding the outcome of the treaty than its terms. That is my message to Chancellor Merkel today.

I join Senator Denis O'Donovan and others in calling for the Taoiseach to come to the House for a debate on developments in Europe, following his attendance next month at what will probably be the most important European summit of modern times. Decisions will be taken over dinner tonight, following today's meeting, which will be formulated at the summit in June. Other members of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and I appreciated the Taoiseach's visit to this Chamber last week and the speech he made. Will the Deputy Leader respond specifically to my request that he be invited to the House after the European summit at the end of June to report to us, as he will to the other House, on issues that will greatly impact on the future of the country?