Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I am not alone. All the parties, to which the Deputy refers, support the budgetary discipline measures that are contained in the treaty. President Hollande and the French Government are seeking what the Government here has been discussing since last year. The Government was among the first to argue that we needed growth and jobs measures in order to complement the stability treaty. In addition it was agreed that there would be such an agenda. First, it is contained in the text of the treaty which states clearly that its purpose is to promote growth, competitiveness, employment and social cohesion in Europe. Second, it was expressed clearly in the conclusions of the January summit where the treaty was finally agreed, that there would be a growth agenda and a number of specific measures were set out at that meeting, including measures to tackle youth unemployment, measures to provide for lending to small and medium-sized businesses and regarding completion of the Single Market. President Hollande is talking about precisely the same thing and we welcome it. I expect that tomorrow's European Council meeting will discuss how that growth agenda can be advanced. Those may relate to the European Investment Bank, Structural Funds and project funds. Arising from that, I hope it will be possible to return to the June summit meeting, because tomorrow's meeting is an informal one, with a concrete programme of growth measures to complement the stability treaty, the provisions of which are supported by President Hollande and other social democratic parties in Europe.

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