Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is not about parties; it is about the Oireachtas committee that is tasked with scrutinising the budgetary process. Collectively as a committee - I am not referring to Sinn Féin, the Green Party, Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael - we do not have a clue about the budgetary parameters the Minister is considering for announcement on Tuesday. We do not know whether there will be €6 billion, €7 billion, €8 billion or €9 billion in addition to the €12 billion set out. That is what this committee is supposed to be examining. It is supposed to be feeding in, giving its thoughts and providing analysis so there will be no more bunnies taken out of the hat and no more big surprises. The Minister knows the parameters. I do not want a final decision as I know it has not been made and that things will change right up to the last moment but the Minister knows whether the figure is €500 million or €5 billion. He could give us a range indicating the space we are in.

With respect to the Minister, and acknowledging this is his first outing as Minister to a meeting of this committee, of which he has been a member, the Government is treating the committee with disrespect by not allowing it to do what it was set up to do, that is, to scrutinise the parameters set prior to the budget. The Minister should be more forthcoming about his thoughts on the recovery fund.