Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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Before getting into the detail, I want to echo Deputy Michael McGrath’s comments that getting the SPU, stability programme update, at 3.30 p.m. today was extremely frustrating. I now have to read it in conjunction with last year’s SPU and other documents.

Germany submitted its fiscal statement and annual budget on 17 April and many other member states have followed suit. I know this year for Ireland is a bit of a dry run because we are still in a country programme and country-specific recommendations will not be issued by the Commission based on this SPU. However, next year this important document will go to the Commission and it will issue country-specific recommendations. These, in turn, will be debated by the European Parliament and then go back to the Commission. The recommendations are binding. If we miss them, there are sanctions which can be brought against us. Is it the Minister’s intention next year to provide sufficient time to the Oireachtas and this committee to get its teeth into this SPU?