Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 1 June 2016
Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny
Business of Select Committee
11:00 am
John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Naughton. Appendix 1 of the recommendations of the committee of which Deputy Ryan is a member, the sub-committee on Dáil reform, outlines the establishment of an independent parliamentary budget office. I understand that is the proposal Deputy Barrett has submitted to the committee, that is, rather than waiting, as others have pointed out, until the spring of 2017 for such an office to be formally established that we try to get the process under way.
I understand the concerns members have outlined, but we have to get the process under way today because we are far behind where the budgetary process would normally be, in terms of Oireachtas committees. We have heard suggestions from Deputies Ryan, Burton and Barrett regarding initiatives we can undertake today, such as writing to the Ceann Comhairle. Is that agreed?