Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 March 2012
62 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance if he will agree that EU Commission-ECB-EU Council treatment of programme countries and non-programme countries in relation to general Government budget deficits and public expenditure is fundamentally different and if he has raised the issue at ECOFIN meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15983/12]
View answerAll EU Member States that are currently subject to the excessive deficit procedure are required to correct their public deficits within an agreed timeframe, irrespective of whether or not they are in a programme of external financial assistance. As the deputy will be aware, Ireland must correct its excessive deficit — that is reduce to below 3 per cent of GDP — by 2015, and the Government has outlined its medium term strategy in order to achieve this.
