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

Assumptions can be very dangerous. We are enshrining these provisions in domestic legislation and they will apply not just between 2019 and 2021 but indefinitely. We do not know what will happen to the economy or what type of exceptional circumstances will arise. I question the Minister’s judgment in regard to whether we will get more flexibility because it is not written into the Bill. While the provision is linked to the treaty, it will be on the Irish Statute Book if the Bill is passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas and signed by the President. It will compel us to reduce the deficit in line with regulations at European Union level. Exceptional circumstances are open to interpretation and if provision was made for them at least there could be scope for discussion with our European counterparts. I hope exceptional circumstances will not arise but I ask the Minister to consider introducing amendment on Report Stage that would comply with the treaty.