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

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 8, lines 27 to 31, to delete subsection (6) and substitute the following:“(6) The Minister shall, within 2 months of being given a copy of the assessment under subsection (5), prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a statement of the Government's response.”.

The Bill provides that if the Government does not accept an assessment of the council relating to any of the matters referred to in subsection (3) the Minister shall within two months of being given a copy of the assessment prepare and lay before the Dáil a statement of the Government's reasons for not accepting it. It would be better practice if the Government were required to give a formal response to assessments brought forward by the fiscal advisory council. I got the sense from the council when its representatives appeared before the committee that it feels very unloved. Its reports so far have been more or less dismissed out of hand. There should be a requirement on the Government to formally respond to the advisory council when it produces reports which contain some very important recommendations on fiscal and debt issues.