Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I wish to ask the Tánaiste about the arrangements for the budget and the fact that budget day will now include Estimates. I raised this issue with him some time ago and neither he nor his Department has given any indication of what the detailed arrangments will be in terms of publishing along with the budget, a Book of Estimates. Will separate statements be available on the contents of the Estimates on a Department by Department basis, or will it be the case, as on Estimates day, that Ministers will hold separate press briefings to which, obviously, the Opposition will have no access? It will certainly make our work on budget day, and that of the media, very difficult, unless the Tánaiste decides to spoonfeed the media and leave us in the dark?

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