Professor John McHale:

This again goes back to the broader question. Mr. Tutty laid out very well what one would ideally like to see in terms of a medium-term plan. One of the things we have been pushing strongly for is that the forecasts be provided based on an estimate of the cost of what the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council refers to as standing still while continuing to provide the existing level of public services and maintaining the purchasing power of benefits. Beyond that, the more detail that can be provided in terms of the different aggregates the better. From our point of view in terms of accessing forecasts, we do not need so much disaggregated detail to assess the forecasts. However, in terms of the committee's particular role in assessing the plans and perhaps making alternative budget neutral suggestions for the plans, it seems the more detail the committee can get, including on the capital side, the better.