Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

When the Taoiseach downgraded yesterday's announcement from a jobs budget to a jobs initiative, one of the effects was that the Dáil and the general public were given only a fraction of the information that normally accompanies budget measures. For example, all preparatory paperwork from the tax strategy group would normally be published immediately online. This allows people to see all the advice received for and against any budget measure. In spite of the commitment in the programme for Government to increase budgetary transparency, the Government has reduced it by issuing no detailed supporting documentation. Information has not been published or made available about the likely net impact of the measures. There is a growing impression that this is because Ministers wish to focus on the public relations aspect of the announcement rather than the substance of the measures.

With regard to the €1.8 billion to be removed from personal pension funds, the Taoiseach will know that a similar move in Britain ended up having a disastrous impact. In that case, it took ten years for documents to be released showing that warnings were ignored before the decision was taken.

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