Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is really no point in being here at all. The Deputy is either completely deaf or he has decided that he does not like the answer he has heard. He has put words into my mouth that I certainly did not say. If he listened to what I said, he would know that I welcome the creation and advice of the IFAC. We do not necessarily accept all advice that we get. The Deputy is quite absolutely wrong on the basic point. The advisory council has stated that our movement towards structural balance will be of the order of 0.3% and the Government has stated that it will meet our requirement, which is a movement of not less than 0.5%. The arbiter of this - the referee who determines the level - is the European Commission, and its evaluation of the spring economic statement is that the movement will be 0.8%. We can take the figures and choices and, so far, the Government has been right.

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