Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It may well be the case that the tap could be turned off for a small member state but I have looked at some of the country-specific recommendations and there are very specific recommendations with regard to Germany, for instance, as to how it deals with imports and increases domestic consumption and how it addresses the trade imbalance that is currently in place. What kind of enforcement could be put in place in Germany? It is fine to wag one’s finger at a small European state but Germany is a different kettle of fish. We saw that previously with Maastricht; when criteria were put in place it was not small member states that broke the rules but major states such as France and Britain that were stepping outside the rules.