Sinn Féin MEP for Ireland South, Kathleen Funchion MEP, has criticised European Commission President Von Der Leyen’s decision to ease fiscal rules for military spending in the context that the same rules block public investment in housing and social spending.

MEP Funchion said:

“Reports today suggest that the EU Commission is preparing to relax fiscal rules in order to allow member states to boost investment in military equipment. This is on the back of Sinn Féin and others calling for the fiscal rules to be relaxed for social crises like housing for years.

“It seems the Commission are happy to create exceptions and work arounds when it comes to funding the military industry, but not when it comes to social funding and public investment.

“Where there is room for massive financial gain for the few, such as in military equipment contracts, the EU will support it but when it comes to providing public services or public capital investment in infrastructure there are rules to ensure funding is withheld and managed.

“The ease with which these rules could be dropped also highlights just how easy it would be for the Commission to make a decision to allow more public funding; it is simply a lack of political will on behalf of Fine Gael’s friends in Europe.

“The crisis in housing is simply not recognised as a priority issue by the Commission and the decision to allow member states flexibility on defence but not on social issues is another example of that.”