Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Where stands the rainy day fund? In economic terms the amount involved is ridiculous. It is €500 million. We have a housing crisis and €500 million might go to address something like housing for older people. That would produce a rate of return as opposed to investing this €500 million somewhere around the world in whatever the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, comes up with to invest in. Any impact of this amount on the Government's finances is trivial. It a completely phony arrangement designed to shore up the Government's economic credentials. I do not understand the logic of it.

When is the fiscal space going to be determined? It is €1.8 billion for new measures, excluding demographic pressures and public pay costs. The precommitted expenditure is €2.6 billion. When will the amount of fiscal space be officially confirmed? The Taoiseach also noted people doing various economic things in his Department. How many economists are employed in his Department?

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