Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

Pre-ECOFIN Briefing: Minister for Finance

8:10 pm

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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The European Economic Forecast for Ireland for autumn 2014 is very positive. Obviously the forecast is not as positive with regard to the Continent. The stagnation is very worrying and has impacts for us as a trading partner. What jumped out at me from the economic forecast for autumn 2014, which predicts a general government deficit of 2.9% of GDP, and I know the Government is looking at figure of 2.7% of GDP, is that it suggests the deficit will increase next year based on a no-policy-change assumption. Will the Minister explain this conclusion?