Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My question relates to the expenditure benchmark that will apply from 2016, as introduced by the six-pack European semester provision. Will the Minister explain in layman's or laywoman's terms what he understands the implication of that benchmark to be for government spending beyond 2016? Does he accept that the restrictions it will impose will render it impossible to spend sufficiently to ensure the delivery of full quality services? Does he anticipate that compliance with this benchmark will mean further cuts in future?

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