Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We might not be eligible to apply for the investment clause, but there is a strong argument that we would be eligible to apply under the structural clause, which would allow us to deviate from the mid-term budgetary objective, MTO, by up to 0.5% of GDP, which is a significant level and represents more than €1 billion in public investment, if we can show that the structural reforms to be carried out would result in long-term benefits to the State. I would argue that, in the middle of a housing crisis, this is a way for the EIB to be more ambitious.

The State could, using this clause, allow more money to the Housing Finance Agency to co-finance these types of proposals. It is not just about housing. We have other bottlenecks, as I have said. Has the European Investment Bank looked at the structural clause? I am aware of the review, which is too far down the line. It is a year away. This country has never even applied under the structural clause. I am not sure why it has not, or whether we are assessing it.