Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister and his officials and thank the Minister for his abbreviated opening statement. In-year expenditure growth has been raised by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, which has been critical of the Government in this area. Taking the figures prepared by the Parliamentary Budget Office for 2018, in October 2017, forecasted expenditure for 2018 stood at €60.9 billion. The figure increased in the Estimates in December 2017, increased further in the expenditure report of October 2018 and increased again in the Supplementary Estimates and Revised Estimates in December 2018. Between October 2017 and December 2018, the figure increased by approximately €2.3 billion, or 3.8%, from the original forecast. Does the Minister have concerns or any observations to make on the points raised by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council about in-year expenditure growth every year?