Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 27 September 2023

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Pre-Budget Engagement (Resumed): Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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Let us look at the €2 billion envelope. This is just for budgetary oversight and to try to get an understanding of policy and what the numbers mean. The €2 billion number refers to the expenditure measures to be allocated. Must the public sector pay deal, when it is negotiated and struck, come out of that €2 billion? I assume it does and the Minister has confirmed that. Will he indicate how that is treated given that we do not have a pay deal? Last time, we did have a pay deal so the Minister was able to be upfront and clear about it. How will that be treated in the budget book in two weeks' time?