David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is an extraordinary position for the State and for policy at such an important level. The fiscal compact rules have a big impact on how much money the State has to spend.

We each have our own view as to whether the fiscal rules are too rigid or otherwise - there was a referendum on that point - but they are the rules in place. That is the legal requirement. It is extraordinary that decisions and the policy outworking of the rules are being made on unreliable figures in terms of debt to GDP . As stated by Mr. McCarthy, Ireland is the only state in the European Union in that position.