Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Collectively, the rest of the European Union is going in the right direction. The 15 pre-accession EU states are 5% under the 1990 target, while the 25 member states are 7% under the 1990 target. Ireland, under this Government, is 25% above the 1990 target. Currently, under this Administration, there does not appear to be any hope that we will reach the target. All the Government intends to do is play for time.

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