Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Dr. Kelly makes the point in his presentation, and I think he was being optimistic, that most of the remaining non-core expenditure items will be wound down by 2025. Obviously, there are political decisions that will have to be taken but is the advice of the witnesses as economists that what at least is described as non-core expenditure would be wound down by 2025? They are the political implications. It is unlikely, frankly. Our own assessment would be that this is probably unlikely but that is a question for Ministers and not economists in the Central Bank. I fully appreciate and understand that. Is it a bad idea to present areas of expenditure as non-core expenditure when they have been repeated so many times and some are likely to remain as expenditure items on the books for the next few years?