Mr. Niall Conroy:

We have been calling for multi-annual budgeting for a long time. We think many areas could benefit from having greater certainty about what their funding will be over a number of years rather than planning on a year-to-year basis. Part of that is just having the forecasts to begin with. As the Deputy said, the forecast in the annual progress report only went 20 months ahead. A more multi-annual budget is something we would definitely welcome. We have been calling for it for a good while.

In the new EU fiscal rules, there are some things we take issue with, particularly to do with the use of GDP and the treatment of corporation tax. They do at least give a framework for thinking more long term and setting binding budgetary ceilings for multiple years in advance. I hope this will assist with taking more of that approach.