Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move:

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform:
noting that:
- the Department of Finance will provide economic forecasts for the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council in advance of the budget;
and further notes that:
- the Dáil should have equality of esteem with the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council; and
- as set out in Recommendation 1.1 of the 4th Report of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, Report on Macroeconomic Policy and Effective Fiscal and Economic Governance, published in November 2010, thatthe Government publish annually, by way of laying a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas, its macroeconomic data and both short-term and long-term projections;
calls on:
- the economic management council of the Government to direct the Department of Finance to provide the same forecast data and the same briefing to allow the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform adequate time to consider the information in advance of the budget;
and resolves:
- that failure to provide this information for the democratically elected representatives of the people threatens to undermine our democracy.