Is the Taoiseach aware that on every occasion when there was substantial growth in employment in this State it arose as a direct consequence of a decision by an Irish Government to set a realistic value on the punt? This occurred following the realignment of the punt in 1986 and, subsequently, its realignment in January 1993 which Fianna Fáil and Labour resisted. In the light of that experience is it the Government's policy to join a single currency without our principal trading partner in circumstances which would deprive us of the right to set a realistic value on the punt because we would then be on autopilot?

That is not a medium or short term agenda. Everybody realistically looking at the position in Europe today recognises that the introduction of a single currency is not around the corner. As a former Minister for Finance, the Deputy knows that neither I nor the Minister for Finance speculate on hypothetical questions about what a Government might do.

Is the Taoiseach——

Order, I want to bring these questions to finality.

Is the Taoiseach aware of the Maastricht Treaty?

Deputy Bruton, please hear the Chair. I am bringing these questions to a conclusion.

May I put one further question?

Let me advise the House, as is my wont, that nearly 30 minutes are available to deal with questions to the Taoiseach. I want to bring them to finality quite quickly. I will call Deputy Boylan shortly.

May I put one further question arising from my previous questions?

Yes.

Is the Taoiseach aware that the single most important economic decision a government can take concerns the devaluation of its currency? Is he aware there would be serious consequences for Ireland if, as the Maastricht Treaty provides, we were to go ahead with the single currency without Britain as Ireland would then be in the position where it no longer would have the freedom to set the value of its own currency? Has the Government considered this?

Deputy Bruton knows that the Government takes all those matters into consideration. He should also be aware that whereas the Maastricht Treaty sets 1997 as the target year, nobody believes that this is realistic. It is more realistic to speak in terms of the end of the decade——

On the contrary.

——and hopefully it might come by the end of the debate. That is the real position in Europe.

The Maastricht Treaty is out the window.