Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Chairman for his views. I agree with some of what he has said but not with all of it. Clearly, it would have been ideal if we had been in a position to begin this process earlier in the year. We would have had time to form broader committees. We would have had an opportunity to work through the Estimates in the detail anticipated by the Chairman, which I am happy to do.

A challenge we would have been faced with is that if we had brought Votes through the plenary session of the Dáil, there would have been no opportunity for questions to be put to me and would only have had statements, which would have been even more unsatisfactory. It is my hope that when we get into a more normal process, when all of the committees have been formed, that we will be able to engage in this in a detailed manner and on an ongoing basis. I will play my part in the process. I will always be available to the Chairman's committee to come in and answer questions.

With respect, there is one matter on which I differ from the Chairman. The Constitution clearly assigns roles and responsibilities. The Executive, or the Government, has some responsibilities that it has to play in terms of money Bills. Under the Constitution, we are required to perform certain duties. Certainly, inside that framework, as a clear consequence of our status as a minority Government and the arrangement we have with the Dáil and with the Chairman's party, we have to do more now to take on board the views of other parties in the Dáil when it comes to how we form a budget and what it should contain. I will do all that I can to facilitate that.