Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

I read in a briefing note that the function of the Economic Management Council is to manage the Government's programme in respect of economic planning and budgetary matters, economic recovery programmes, including the representation of Ireland in negotiations with the European Union, the IMF and the European Central Bank, and that additional support for the council is provided from within the existing resources of the Taoiseach's Department, working in close conjunction with staff from the Departments of Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Foreign Affairs and Trade. In view of that mandate for the Economic Management Council and of the fact that it has met 18 times this year, is it not incredible that the Irish people are not getting a single assessment from the Taoiseach of the economic impact of the fiscal rules straitjacket he agreed in Brussels at the summit of European leaders in December? In the course of the hundreds of hours of media debate and discussion, and the Taoiseach's side allegedly putting out information, we have had no idea of the fiscal impact of the new fiscal rules the Taoiseach proposes to enshrine in Irish law and to agree by treaty. Will the Taoiseach explain why this is the case? Is it not really shameful that instead of an honest attempt to lay out the implications of the permanent austerity rules the Taoiseach seeks to frighten our people? Will he correct this urgently so in the coming week the Irish people can have as objective information as possible, based on the projections of the Department of Finance and others, on how the new fiscal rules would impact on the economy from 2015?

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