Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our commitment is to be at less than 3% by 2015. The fiscal council examined this issue recently and suggested that, based on the current stability programme update and a number of technical economic assumptions, including tight expenditure control, Ireland may reach its medium-term budgetary objective as early as 2019. However, this forecast must be treated with caution because the council highlights the uncertainty in predicting the structural position that far into the future.