John Bruton
Question:71 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of the convergence programme for Ireland, recently agreed with the European Commission.
Written Answers. - Convergence Programme.
John Bruton
Question:78 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance when the convergence programme for Ireland, agreed at a recent Council of Ministers meeting, will be published.
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 71 and 78 together.
The convergence programme for Ireland agreed at a meeting of the ECOFIN Council on 10 February 1992 is the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, which has already been published.
It was submitted in October 1991 in response to a decision at ECOFIN in July 1991 that member states should submit medium term adjustment programmes addressing the main convergence problems — prices and costs, public finances and external positions.
At the February meeting, I updated Ministers on developments since the Programme for Economic and Social Progress was agreed, including the outturn on the 1991 budget and the targets and measures set out in the 1992 budget.