Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 14:

In page 8, subsection (4), between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following:“(c) whenever requested in writing by a Committee of Dáil Éireann established under the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann, provide an assessment of a policy proposal.".

This is a straightforward amendment which the Minister should strongly consider accepting. It requires the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, when requested in writing by a committee of the House, to provide an assessment of a particular policy proposal. That is a tool that would be extremely useful not just to this committee but to other committees of the House. The fiscal council is there not just to provide independent reports and advise the Government and it could also be of tremendous assistance in the work of the Oireachtas committees. This power would not be abused but it could be extremely useful for committees to have the capacity to refer matters regarding policy to the advisory council to get its assessment of the impact of those policy proposals on the State's fiscal position.