Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I tabled the question last week before the Revised Estimates were published. It appeared then that the Estimates would not be published before 1 May which is why I inquired whether they would appear before the summer. The Minister has now published the Estimates. The question relates to more than whether it is just a case of this week or next week. What is the Minister’s timetable for the Revised Estimates to be passed by the Oireachtas now that they are published? I hope that will be done during May. Notwithstanding the fact that the Minister held off on publication of the Revised Estimates while discussions were ongoing does he agree that it is not right that we should discuss the Estimates for 2013 in April and May when 40% of the money for the year in which approval is being sought in the Estimate has already been spent and the overwhelming majority of the balance is already pre-committed?

We are really just looking at the money and waving at it after the horse has bolted. Europe, thank God, is forcing a situation upon us whereby we will have the Estimates for 2014 published by October. Sometimes good developments come from Europe which we do not seem to be capable of introducing ourselves, for some reason. I ask the Minister to give a commitment to the House that we will have the Estimates for next year in October 2013. Will the Minister give a commitment that the full, revised Estimates for 2014 will be passed before 1 January 2014?

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