David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With respect, that does not chime with what Mr. Watt said in his opening statement about openness and transparency or with the work of the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, which was established to allow for a greater input into the budgetary process. What was agreed and what we were told would form part of the new open and transparent consultative process was a summer economic statement in the first instance followed by the NED. Just because the Government decides that it will rejig Departments should not mean that this sequence should not be followed. I am concerned that we have already reverted back to type and that we are engaged in box-ticking rather than genuine consultation. That is my opinion. Why was there a delay in the SES?