Professor John McHale:

On behalf of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, I thank the committee for giving us the opportunity to share our views on the proposed changes to the budgetary process. As noted in our most recent fiscal assessment report published on 8 June, the council welcomes the proposals to reform the budgetary process to allow for greater Oireachtas scrutiny. With me are council members Mr. Seamus Coffey and Mr. Michael Tutty, as well as the council secretariat. Our chief economist is, however, in Lille.