Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming in. During this process we have heard from some of the officials here and others that the key objective, as I understand it, is that we get the Opposition in at a very early stage prior to the completion of the Estimates and the budget process in order that budget day does not descend upon the rest of the Parliament like something from outer space. I have argued during our hearings here that we should, as much as possible, try to implement this initiative in the 2017 budget process and not just wait for the 2018 process. I am particularly interested in how the Minister thinks it would be possible this month and next month to involve the sectoral committees - where I think a lot of the work has to be done, and not just in a budget scrutiny committee whenever it is formally fully established.

I shall outline one of the key objectives that we should strive for. The committees, with their Minister and Department, should be involved in considering some of the bids from Departments for spending or possibly tax raising measures, where that is appropriate, in the summer period rather than waiting for the autumn. A line Minister may have an initiative or idea. As I recall and understand the Estimates process, there would be dialogue between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform or the Department of Finance and the relevant Department throughout the summer period. This would mean that options could be considered by the committees, particularly sectoral committees, in the summer period rather than waiting for the autumn. We should put a fairly demanding pressure on the committees, as they are set up in the coming weeks, to do just that as part of the 2017 budget process rather than waiting for the autumn period. Is such an initiative possible?

I asked the Taoiseach this question during the Order of Business in the week before last. I got a sense from him that such a goal would meet with the Government's overall objectives of ensuring that politics work in a different way in this period. Is it possible for the sectoral committees, in the Minister's mind, to engage with Ministers and Departments to consider, not just the overall Vote aggregate, but to go down into some of the detailed propositions that Departments or Ministers may have, in the summer period, as part of that dialogue the Minister for Finance mentioned in his submission? He stated that we need to get right and evolve the national economic dialogue and have spring and summer statements, etc. Can we get sectoral committees to look at big proposals this summer rather than this autumn?