Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I have already pointed out that the projection for growth this year is 0.7%, and for next year it is 2%, but the structural deficit as measured by the methodology used by the European Commission can change. To illustrate that point, the estimated structural deficit for 2015, as measured by the EU Commission's methodology in April 2011, was 4.6% but in April of this year the estimate was reduced to 3.5% because of a combination of factors including Government policies such as the Action Plan for Jobs 2012, Pathways to Work and pension reforms. Growth is the key to doing the heavy lifting in so far as the structural deficit is concerned, which refers to the numbers of people unemployed through that cycle. The position is that when we have our deficit reduced to 3% by 2015, the period after that is when the methodology adopted by the Irish Government, as distinct from the European Commission's methodology, will be used to determine the structural deficit plan. It will be worked out in accordance with the treaty's recommendation that each country has a specific plan, and that is what we will follow.

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