Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There was an internal contradiction between the first part of the Deputy's presentation and the second. He condemned the straitjacket of the fiscal rules in Europe which did not allow us to spend more money, particularly in capital investment, and he went on to deplore the fact that we had to pay €6 million in interest. The reason we had to pay €6 million in interest was because we had a debt of some €200 million and if one borrows and spends more one pays more in interest. Both remarks cannot be correct at the same time.