Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)

Can the Minister confirm that his Department's structural deficit projection of 3.5% takes on board the €8.6 billion of adjustments he is planning to make over the next three years? Can he also confirm that Professor John McHale - whom the Minister appointed as chair of the Fiscal Advisory Committee - has issued two reports calling for additional adjustments, which will be tax increases and cuts, in the budget, and that the Minister has ignored them? If we do not meet the medium-term objectives for the structural deficit, it will trigger an automatic mechanism that will have to be legislated for in the Oireachtas. Can the Minister explain what that automatic mechanism will be?

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