Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We met the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council last week and it was very critical of the spring statement and the Government's multi-annual projections with regard to budgeting. Its representatives also mentioned the fact that GDP is forecast to rise by 17.3% between 2016 and 2020 but Government consumption would only rise by 5.7%, meaning State spending as a proportion of GDP would actually shrink. Is that the objective of the Government?

I asked the fiscal council what the level of Government investment in the economy should be. Its delegates said it should be 4% but the Government's projection is for a decrease from 1.8% to 1.5% in that timescale. That would mean the capital stock of the country would suffer as a result.