Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

There is no need to create confusion where none exists.

As regards Commissioner Almunia, he has acknowledged that it will take three to four years to rectify the fiscal position. We know also that he is optimistic about our prospects for recovery and growth in the medium term. I was a member of ECOFIN and saw many occasions where the excessive deficit procedure was invoked. It was invoked in our situation because of the sharp deterioration in our public finances where the deficit is clearly over 3%. These are the Stability and Growth Pact rules and the procedures are invoked and applied to our country when it happens just as they are applied to other countries when it happens in their part of the cycle. There is no need to indicate any fundamental difference here.

There is no difference between the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and anyone else in the Government. The Minister for Finance is outlining very clearly his determination——

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