SEANAD REPORT:NOBODY WAS going to believe the budget or the four-year plan if both were to be based on assumptions in the Croke Park agreement, as he feared they would be, Shane Ross (Ind) warned.

Urging that the date of the budget be brought forward by two or three weeks, he said the situation was so urgent now that if the markets saw – as they were likely to – that the budget and the plan lacked credibility due to the basis of the agreement, “we will call in outside forces before Christmas”.

He thought the statement of Kieran Mulvey, the most senior member of the LRC, that if nothing was done within six months the situation would be serious, showed a striking lack of urgency in relation to the implementation of the agreement.

Mr Ross said people in powerful positions were able to delay and frustrate the agreement. That was happening and nobody was doing much about it.

Jim Walsh (FF) said we were in a national emergency and were probably not far from having to have recourse to the International Monetary Fund. In that scenario, the delay by the Croke Park agreement implementation body deserved strong criticism. It was time that body was replaced by people who would drive the project forward.

Jerry Buttimer (FG) said the implementation body was dependent on receiving from government departments the proposed schedule for change.

Paschal Donohoe (FG) said the effect of external involvement on our international reputation would be disastrous.