Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for again coming to the House to keep us fully advised of what is going on at European level. My question relates to Article 3.3 and the right of a contracting party to deviate. I raise this in the context of what has happened in Ireland. When the building industry was doing very well, from every €100,000 a builder got in, some €44,000 would have come in to the Revenue Commissioners. Is the Minister of State satisfied that the definition of "exceptional circumstances" is adequate in the event of change? A simple example is a sudden downturn for whatever reason in agriculture, with a resultant drop in incomes. Is the Minister of State satisfied that the provisions of this section are adequate?

The United Kingdom never joined the Economic and Monetary Union, and now is distancing itself again in this instance. What are the consequences of the road the UK has decided to take from an Irish viewpoint?