Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are all mindful of the serious threat we face today at the summit in Brussels given the recent views expressed by the German, Finnish and Dutch finance Ministers. They sought to block or back track on the solemn agreement made in June that sovereign debt and bank debt should be decoupled. It was specifically agreed that the vicious circle between the two should be broken and that Ireland's debt should be re-examined with a view to improving its sustainability. Despite the views of Senator Byrne, we can have confidence that our Taoiseach and his team will ensure that the solemn agreement or commitment is re-affirmed and that we can make progress.