Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The legislation goes further than implementation of the rules of the austerity treaty. As members are aware, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is part of it, as the reporting mechanism and what the Government would be obliged to do in responding to the advice of the council also are included. I am not questioning the ruling but simply seeking clarification of the rules. However, the Minister has stated the people passed the treaty in a referendum. He is correct in stating this and I do not dispute that the austerity treaty was passed in a referendum. However, this legislation has not been put before the people and in amendment No. 2 I sought the inclusion of the proviso, "so long as such compliance is conducive to the social and economic development of the state”. I cannot understand the reason parliamentarians would not agree to include such a measure. The outworking of not accepting the amendment is that the rules should be implemented, even when it would not be "conducive to the social and economic development of the state".