Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 4 October 2016

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Forecasts for Budget 2017: Department of Finance

11:00 am

Photo of John Paul PhelanJohn Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before we begin the meeting with officials from the Department of Finance, I remind members to turn off their mobile telephones as the interference caused by them affects the sound quality and transmission of proceedings. Apologies have been received from Deputy Pearse Doherty who is being substituted for by Deputy Peadar Tóibín. Apologies have been received also from Deputies Seán Barrett and Calleary.

I wish to inform members that a work programme will be circulated in the coming days and members are invited to make observations to the secretariat in advance of a draft work programme being produced. We have written to the Ceann Comhairle on foot of Deputy Donnelly's request last week. We have already indicated that the area of corporation tax is likely to be the first issue on our work programme, but members may have issues and other items for inclusion on it. Should Deputy Donnelly's letter of request to the Ceann Comhairle in respect of the finance Bill result in this committee receiving ownership of it, then the finance Bill will be the first big chunk of our work programme. It is imperative that a decision is made soon on that matter.

The committee report highlighted some areas that the committee will examine further, such as the CSO and the Central Bank consultative group. Deputy Eamon Ryan mentioned it at the time of the discussion on GDP and Brexit. We wrote to the Ceann Comhairle requesting that he consider the transfer of the finance Bill to the committee.

Do members wish to make observations before our meeting with the officials from the Department of Finance?

Does Deputy Burton wish to comment?

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