Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 30:

In page 13, lines 11 to 13, to delete subsection (2).

The purpose of the amendment is to remove the subsection that reads: "The Minister shall not perform a function transferred by subsection (3) of section 7 without first consulting the Minister for Finance in relation thereto". This provision relates to emergency financial measures. If the Minister has responsibility for these issues, he should have autonomy. He will be pleased that I am proposing he have such powers.

I do not know whether he heard my suggestion concerning related matters during his absence from the Chamber. On budget day much of the Budget Statement deals with Government expenditure. I suggested that, if the Government was sincere about having two equally robust Departments, the Minister for Finance should address taxation, financial and national debt issues on budget day, while everything relating to changes to social welfare payments and so on should be announced by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

See this speech in context