Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are a number of countries that have problems now. Some of them would make the case that if they are prepared to make fundamental structural changes to the way their economies are run, they should be shown greater flexibility. This is a matter that will be discussed in due course by the European Council. In respect of my own letter to Jean-Claude Juncker, this is an issue that affects quite a number of countries. I am not asking for a change in respect of the independence of the EUROSTAT agency but I am asking for predictability and consistency in the way that applications are actually treated.

People in Ireland find it very difficult to understand in that there is such an availability of finance internationally and that when one needs finance, one should be able to get it under consistent and clear rules in order to provide houses for people. As housing is a priority for Government, is there a way of using this facility in the people's interests? If the goalposts have been changed, or change on an irregular basis, there needs to be predictability and consistency about that. Along with other countries, we will try to work on that so that the independence of the agency can be changed but people can plan ahead, knowing that there is that consistency about it.