Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 11 (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform) (Revised)
Vote 12 (Superannuation and Retired Allowances) (Revised)
Vote 14 (State Laboratory) (Revised)
Vote 15 (Secret Service) (Revised)
Vote 17 (Public Appointments Service) (Revised)
Vote 18 (Shared Services) (Revised)
Vote 19 (Office of the Ombudsman) (Revised)
Vote 39 (Office of Government Procurement) (Revised)
9:00 am
John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
There is no company in the country from which we collect taxes that would pass budgets within an hour and without the type of debate that I expect is necessary when dealing with a budget of €370 million. I am lobbying both the Minister and his Minister of State, as both of them know the committee system, to bring about the necessary changes. It would allow us, as members of the committee and Members of the Parliament, to do our work. The current system prevents us from doing so. We are fooling the public because they believe that we examine the Estimates when, in fact, they are only considered. The message that we send back is already pre-determined. This system is a farce.
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