Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the timing of the mid-year expenditure report, the objective of that document is to give us a starting point for the budget for the following year. For that reason, it would be very challenging to provide that information any earlier than July. That said, I will take it away and see if there is any other way of responding to that issue. The idea that I have taken on board, from what Deputy Burton suggested earlier, is that we make available to the committee the same information that comes to Cabinet. I will check the frequency of that, but my recollection or understanding is that such information is available on a quarterly basis. That deals with the problem that I outlined earlier in terms of flows across each month, because a 12-week period will be long enough to allow me to net that out and be confident that I am sharing decent information with Deputies.

All I would say is that I will work to share with the committee 12-week expenditure reports if that is the frequency with which they come to Cabinet. On the Deputy's point regarding the mid-year expenditure report, I am trying to give to him where each Minister is starting from in terms of the discussions for the following year. I am not clear that we will be able to give him accurate answers any earlier than the start of July. However, I will have a look at it. The quarterly expenditure reports will be a help. I am trying to give the Deputy more than the expenditure profile. I am trying to tell him the starting point for the following year.