Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

——on foot of Cabinet decisions reached, we will publish the pre-budget outlook in October, as I have explained. The date will be set when the Cabinet decides on the existing level of service provision in the first instance, which is being considered. As the Deputy noted, the tax and expenditure proposals will be addressed in a unified way on budget day as part of a process of budgetary reform which I have instigated since becoming Minister for Finance. The issue of when, how and if we should move to multi-annual budgets is one for the ensuing process of budgetary reform. It is not envisaged for this year but could be considered in the future.

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