Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We discussed this matter on Committee Stage and I proposed two amendments to clarify that where the legislation states, "Each financial year the Government", this should include all Cabinet members. I made the point that significant criticism has been made within the Cabinet because of what is perceived by senior Ministers to be their exclusion from key expenditure and budgeting discussions and decisions. I instanced comments made by the Ministers, Deputies Joan Burton and Simon Coveney.

There is certainly a view that the core of power in Cabinet now resides in the hands of the four Ministers on the Economic Management Council. The four men involved in the group have the balance of influence and this excludes others. I have tabled this amendment to make the point yet again that where expenditure ceilings and spending plans are being set out which represent discipline and rigour to be adhered to, it is only right that Cabinet Ministers and the line Ministers should be fully involved at every stage of the decision-making process. To ensure this is the case in reality it would be most helpful to introduce words after "the Government" to clarify that this includes all Cabinet Members.

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