Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 16 January 2019

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Fiscal Assessment Report: Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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That is fair enough. I will conclude my point and then respond to the Deputy. From much of the thinking I have read on medium-term forecasts, my view is that it underestimates the fact that a Government of the day will have to make policy choices in three different areas, that is, does it retain services in a particular area, does it need new services or does it need to change levels of capital expenditure? Therefore my view is that as future budgets are done, regardless of whether I or other Ministers have the opportunity to do them, the share of Government expenditure as a percentage of GNI* will at least stay constant, if not grow, and taxation decisions will have to be made in order to do that or decisions will have to be made not to do other things.