The Taoiseach has today defended his comments on Europe in today's Irish Times following criticism by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.
Amid heated exchanges in the Dáil this morning, Mr Adams said that in the face of another summit, Mr Kenny had spent most of his time in the interview explaining why issues affecting the State would not be raised by him.
“That has been your constant mantra before and after each summit you have attended,’’ he added.
Mr Adams accused Mr Kenny of supporting a charter for closer EU banking, fiscal and political union.
This would lead to even more dilution of Irish sovereignty and stronger EU involvement in State budgets, he said.
Mr Kenny said Mr Adams was wrong on all counts, as he usually was.
The Taoiseach said the Government had repeatedly made the case at European level, politically and officially, of the need for growth and jobs and the stimulus to drive movement in the European economies.
He said the EU meeting, tomorrow and Friday, would deal with an increase in funding available from the European Investment Bank.
“That, in turn, will leverage up further monies,’’ he added. “But it has got to be made available to countries that are in vulnerable positions or countries in a programme such as Ireland.’’
As the exchanges continued Mr Kenny noted that Mr Adams had earlier referred to “extreme revisionism’’ in his criticism of the Government.
Mr Kenny added: “For you ‘extreme revisionism’ is something that you could be actually open about now.
“Because while we differ here on all these political issues, there is one thing that I have in common with you.
“And that is, in the context of ‘extreme revisionism’, neither you nor I were members of the IRA army council."
In his interview with the Irish Times, Mr Kenny shrugged off claims by opponents that he was not putting Ireland's case strongly enough in Brussels.
Mr Kenny said that Ministers and officials have been very active at making contact at political and official level and pressing not only Ireland’s own case but this country’s view of how the wider crisis needs to be dealt with.
The Taoiseach also said his big concern is the way Ireland is being held back by the banking crisis despite complying with all of the troika assessments.
