The EU Economics Affairs Commissioner, Mr Pedro Solbes, will face questions about the reasons for censuring Ireland when he attends the European Parliament today.
Mr Solbes will attend the session in Strasbourg and reply to a question tabled by MEPs, including Fine Gael's Ms Avril Doyle. He will be asked to explain in detail why the Commission considers Ireland's economic policy decisions infringe the rules of the EU.
Yesterday, the fallout from the unprecedented reprimand continued as MEPs gave varying reactions to the Minister for Finance Mr McCreevy's indication that he intends to continue his policies in the next Budget.
Mr Pat Cox MEP, leader of the European Liberal Democrat Group, speaking in his capacity as an Irish independent MEP said the European Commission was entirely within its rights to issue such a recommendation. However, in his opinion, if the Commission wanted to set a precedent for presumed breaches this was not the best one to pick, he argued. It was true the Irish Budget was expansionary but one could argue either way as to the inflationary effect of capital spending and tax cuts.
"It is a rather grey and arguable area and therefore it is not the best precedent," Mr Cox stated.
Fianna Fail MEP Mr Pat "the Cope" Gallagher vigorously defended the stand taken by the Government. He believed, he said, the Commission recommendations were not fair or balanced and it was not an even-handed assessment of the state of play of the Irish economy.
Mr Proinsias De Rossa MEP, in a statement, said Mr McCreevy and Ms Harney's "continued recklessness" in indicating they intend to break the EU guidelines again this year must be a case for serious concern.
He called for the Government to go urgently before the Dail and explain in detail the basis for what he described as the continuing conflict with the EU.