Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I noted very carefully Deputy Creighton's original contribution. I agree with the general tenor of her point. We face two types of problems. There is a cyclical element in our current economic problems and there are the structural problems in our economy, in particular in our public finances, which must be addressed.

I hope the steadfastness Deputy Creighton has demonstrated and advocated to Government will be reflected on all sides of this House when we come to the budget because the reality is - I think the Deputy has very honestly recognised this - that there are tough bullets to be bitten. Whether there is an additional year, and the impact that will have, is not the issue. As the Deputy said, the European Union has been very supportive. She made a contribution many times during the recent referendum debate and I again compliment her and Deputies Costello and Timmins on their roles in the referendum debate. The reality is that the solutions to these problems lie in this House and we must make decisions.

Deputy Costello made the point, which I did not address, about stimulus packages which Deputy Creighton picked up. There is not a homogeneous one size fits all solution across the European Union. The economic structures in each of the 27 member states are radically different. Ireland has one of the most open economies in the world. Stimulus packages by their nature tend to leak. If one creates a stimulus package for the automobile industry in Ireland, it would give some relief to people who have suffered very badly but the benefit would leak.

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