Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The matter under discussion has a rather technical title and the debate is consequently one that many people will not tune into. The motion seeks that Dáil Éireann approve in draft the Finance Act 2004 (Section 91) (Deferred Surrender to the Central Fund) Order 2012. If there is a title designed to clear the House and the media gallery, that is it. Having said that, people may tune in despite the technical title. I had hoped the Minister, Deputy Howlin, would have been present because he is responsible for public expenditure and reform. Having this debate this morning is a gross insult to this House.

We all know it is required by legislation that this order be approved by the House by 31 March. There are only a few hours to go before the Dáil goes into recess, and it will not be meeting again until April. Why was it left until the very last few hours to have the debate, with a guillotine and without any detailed scrutiny? A maximum of one hour is allowed for the debate.

We would have liked to go through each item of page 5 of the Minister's contribution in committee, including the Leader programme, agriculture, jobs and enterprise, smarter travel, the OPW and other areas covered by the Minister of State's Department. We would have liked to have asked why the money was not spent in the relevant Departments last year. An impression is almost given in the Minister of State's script that the money is an allocation for 2012 and that in some way it is new money. We know it is money that was not spent last year.

I, as a Member of the Oireachtas, take grave insult to the labelling of this as a technical process. Some may say it is technical but it is anything but in substance. While the amounts referred to have been referred to in the Appropriation Act, they are included in the Estimates for each of the Departments for 2012. As we rise for the Easter recess, not one Department has brought any of its Estimates to any committee for approval for expenditure for this year.

The figures that are included in the Estimates for 2012 must be debated by a committee. In a democracy, they must be voted on by the House. The Minister of State's Department has relegated the Estimates process that has yet to take place to a position in which it is a merely technical process. As an Opposition spokesperson, I have a good mind to consider withdrawing from that process entirely given the approach that has been taken. There might have been a general round-robin discussion in the House some time ago but the process requires that each Oireachtas committee deal with the Estimates pertaining to the Department it scrutinises. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, will not be available until at least the end of April to have his first discussion with our committee on this matter. The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, will have to appear regarding the OPW Vote.

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