Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Ireland Country Report and Country-Specific Recommendations: European Commission

2:00 pm

Mr. Carlos Martínez Mongay:

Of course. The point is that in the case of Brexit, as Mr. Barnier said, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. Therefore, it is premature to speak of whether we are in this or that position. In any case, it is clear from the facts that the Irish Border was placed at the centre of the first phase of the negotiations.

Concerning the budget for 2019 and priorities, what the fiscal rules do is fix targets but it is up to member states and parliaments to decide on the composition of budgets. What the Commission can do is advocate for a certain course of action, for example, investment in human capital or infrastructure or measures to enable people to participate in the labour market. For these reasons, we should try to ensure the composition of public finances is growth friendly but that composition is a national affair.

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