Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

One of the reasons we wanted to have this session today was because we are carrying out a review of how budgetary oversight works and we are trying to put in place a fully verifiable and robust structure for that. The idea that we could have a 20% spend like that one, particularly by commercial semi-State bodies, and not fully understand where those decisions are being made and where it is being added to the base, is remarkable and worrying. During the Supplementary Estimate process at the health committee last week, the Minister accepted that a considerable proportion of the spending will add to the base year on year. I do not forecast a good answer for this budgetary oversight committee if we cannot unpack something like non-voted expenditure over the lifetime of a Government.

Mention was made earlier of the spending review process in its current format and how it is utilised in other jurisdictions as a way to prioritise spending but also to consider obsolescence. Deputy Boyd Barrett talked about tax expenditures. Can any of the witnesses talk to me about how we might better utilise the spending review process in the budgetary oversight process?