Will the Leader consider asking the Minister for Finance or the relevant Minister of State at the Department of Finance to come to the House to enlighten us on the implications for national budgetary policy of the surge in gross domestic product; whether this is illusory, not illusory, a one-off-----

Leprechaun economics.

-----or something that will have long-term consequences for us; whether it increases our liability to make contributions to the European Union this year and how the apparent decline in GDP in the first quarter of this year - the last quarter, as it were - is to be understood in the context of these rather fictitious or ballooning figures which seem to have everything to do with multinationals' accounting policies and very little to do with the capacity of the State to sustain its obligations to the European Union and achieve a decent debt-to-GDP ratio?

In a similar vein, will the Leader ask the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach to come to the House to address the confusion and concern about the latest figures issued by the CSO? Many economists have questioned not only their veracity but also the usefulness of releasing them.

These economic figures could potentially erode any faith in future economic announcements. They bear no relation whatsoever to the reality on the ground. The Financial Times this morning was replete with words such as "bafflement", "fiction" and "amusement". Tom Healy, director of the Nevin Research Economic Institute, compares this growth with the Soviet Union in the 1930s. The revised figures tell us that any recovery is mainly based in Dublin and heavily reliant on foreign direct investment, relocation of assets and inversion deals rather than on agriculture, services and SMEs. In examining these figures and having listened to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, yesterday, I am reminded of the months leading up to the economic crash and the words that were repeated ad nauseam that the fundamentals of the economy were sound. The then Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil's Bertie Ahern, even suggested those of us who questioned the economic instability should “go away and commit suicide.” We must not let this happen again, which is why I am calling for a Minister of State from the Taoiseach’s office to come to the House to have a full and frank discussion about the latest figures which are fantasy.

With regard to the appointment of Theresa May as British Prime Minister, although she had campaigned for Britain to remain in the European Union, she has been a long-time critic of the European Convention on Human Rights. Human rights legislation is key to the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and I have concerns about her commitment to the extension of human rights safeguards. The North is still awaiting a Bill of Rights and I ask that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade remind the Prime Minister of her obligations in that regard.