Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. The committee was established to examine arrangements for budgetary scrutiny. Rather than having everybody getting in each other's way and having so many bodies examining different things, we must work out a structure in which there is a real input at particular times with the committee when it is established. IFAC's role is to independently assess and publicly comment on whether the Government is meeting its stated budgetary targets.

I would like to hear from IFAC about where it fits into the structure. If not today, could witnesses think about it and make a submission on where they see IFAC's role? We will have a parliamentary budget office and inputs from the ESRI, IFAC, the Department and so on. I am afraid we will all be chasing each other. At what point should people come into play? Perhaps, the witnesses could, in due course, give it some thought. When the committee is properly established and is doing its job and working with the parliamentary budget office, where does IFAC fit into it, regarding having a real input at a particular time? IFAC is charged with a particular responsibility in its establishment. Would it have its input at a particular time of the year, for example?