Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

If I may ask a brief question on the fiscal rules, I appreciate the Taoiseach sending the letter to President Juncker. Reports relating to the context of the letter indicate that he is seeking more transparency and consistency in terms of the off-balance sheet position as opposed to the change in the rules. Does the Taoiseach not agree that the rules themselves are a significant problem? Is the fact that we have money on-balance sheet, for example, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, which we cannot use to invest in building homes to resolve our housing crisis because of these rules not a fundamental problem?

Is that not a contradiction in the programme for Government in which there is a huge commitment to abide by all the EU fiscal rules but at the same time there is a commitment to build homes and to resolve the crisis? Do the rules not need to be changed?