Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank both groups for coming in. The groups focused on demographics and pension planning. I thought there was something of a contradiction in what Ms O'Connor said, and I trust she does not mind my querying it. She criticised retaining the pension reliefs as part of the taxation package. Yet, she pointed out the pension problem that we are going to have which will affect women and everyone in society. Should the solution to that problem be totally Government focused? Should people have a role in it?

What would a gender-proofed budget look like? How different would 2017 have been if the budget had gone through the gender budgeting process referred to by Ms O'Connor? Perhaps Ms O'Connor may wish to come back to us with correspondence on that question.

I am intrigued by the comment from Dr. Healy to the effect that more information was available in 1988 than is available today. That is an interesting benchmark for the committee to reflect on and set. Can Dr. Healy give us an idea of what the 1988 budget looked like? Again, this may require further correspondence. I do not imagine anyone in the room was here at that stage, although I am unsure about the clerk. How did the presentation look then compared to now? What information and accessibility has been lost in the meantime? That could be an interesting benchmark for us to set for the new budget office as those involved assume office next year.