Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I make the point that Ministers, myself included, make decisions every day on far larger sums that do not go before Cabinet, decisions that have implications in terms of public policy and decisions that have real-life implications. In my introductory remarks, I set out the review of the NDP at €116 billion and plans to spend €88 billion as an Exchequer this year. Every day of the week, Cabinet Ministers make decisions that they are empowered to make under statute that do not go before Cabinet. Those are the facts.