Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)

The Minister of State made a significant comment here that needs to be cleared up in the House. He stated that the delay in the budget has to do with the Revised Estimates. It is the fifth month of the year. Is the Minister of State stating that the reason for this delay is because of the Revised Estimates? If that is the case, it would mean that the Department was looking at a revised budget estimate in January and February of this year. This is of critical importance to the House because it means that the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have given us false information in reply to other questions. Is the Minister of State stating that the reason for the delay in this budget being issued is because of the Revised Estimates? If that is the case, how early in the year was the Department discussing that there would be Revised Estimates? The reply given by the Minister of State is a nonsense.

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