Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

While I do not wish to reopen the issue of the McCarthy report, which has been adequately aired, will a new approach be adopted this year to the presentation of the Estimates? As the Tánaiste is aware, the present position is that there is no scrutiny whatsoever of the Government's plans in respect of the choices on public spending. When the Estimates are presented, the House receives no information about what will be achieved and it is not until six months later that Members receive any information about what is to be achieved by the spending Estimates. If there is to be some real and substantive engagement in this time of crisis on the choices that must be made, will there be a change in the Estimates procedure in order that the various committees of the House will get advance notice of the options on the table regarding their respective areas of expenditure? There then could be a reasoned debate about which choices ought to be made. There is no point in going into the form of Punch and Judy dialogue of the deaf in which the Government engages, whereby it suggests Members should come up with choices without revealing anything of its own intentions or the implications of different choices. The House deserves both the publication of a McCarthy report and a realistic process for engagement on the choices open to Members. Will there be change in this regard or will there be a reversion to the same old crazy and archaic system of deciding Estimates?

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