John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before finishing, the matter of fiscal rules has come up time and again. Mr. Parlon mentioned strange bedfellows but everybody on this committee is in agreement with his position that there must be some relaxation. Mr. Crampton made a point about the structural reform clause and it is probably the most realistic route of a change occurring there that will not require a treaty change. We have spoken with several people and we will continue to lobby the Government and speak to as many people as we can in that regard. I am intrigued as Mr. Parlon mentioned a Bulgarian economist who spoke about urging Ireland to increase infrastructure funding. There are lectures from the European Commission on increasing infrastructural funding but at the same time there are stringent rules to which we must adhere and which lump current and capital expenditure into the same category. There is a bit of a contradiction there.