Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Proposal to Establish a Rainy Day Fund: Minister for Finance

1:30 pm

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Deputy's first point that it must be counter-cyclical. Her second point indicates the difficulty in this regard. I have never had anybody in this Dáil calling on me to spend less. It never happens. All the demands - many of them legitimate - are to spend more. That is why it is valuable to have a precursory discussion about the matter before we move to the legislative stage. The moment somebody in the Dáil stands up and asks me to spend less in a Department, I want to ensure I am there to hear it.