Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I refer to the proposal on the budgetary office. My concern is that it would be independent, which may impinge on the committee. I would not want us to propose something if the office would not be an independent body. Concerns have been raised about figures coming from Departments. Discussion paper 3 states that it is likely to remain the case that core elements of the work involved will unavoidably continue to be undertaken by the Departments or agencies responsible. A budgetary office has to have real independence and have the right resources and qualified people who can question the figures coming from Departments.

I do not want to jump the gun here today. I am in complete agreement with what other members have said, but the point and purpose of the committee, to which everyone has alluded, is that when the permanent committee is established the independent budgetary office is independent. It could be set up on a statutory basis. We do not want to put forward something here today that might affect the independence and real power of an office that would work very closely with a committee. That is the key consideration if a permanent committee is to work as it should and develop alternative proposals, examine figures and receive alternative information from bodies other than Government Departments.