Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirím fáilte roimh an Aire agus roimh a fhoireann go dtí an coiste anseo. I thank the officials in the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for their assistance. My party has submitted about 1,000 questions on an alternative budget. The Minister will be glad to hear that Fianna Fáil is not compiling an alternative budget so at the least the officials will not have to do double the amount of work. The officials have been very good and speedy in supplying answers and responding to our queries.

I shall first comment on balancing the books. Will the general Government balance be zero? Does the Government intend to take in as much as it spends in 2019?