Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----the budget is usually introduced on a Wednesday. When previous budgets were introduced, there would be a normal morning's business, including Leaders' Questions, Question Time, etc. The budget for 2014 is being introduced on Tuesday next. It is proposed that Tuesday's business will commence at 2.30 p.m. with the statements of the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. These will be followed by the responses of the spokespersons from the Opposition parties. We will then move to dealing with the financial resolutions. Additional time is being provided for the debate on the budget. It is also proposed that there will be a full day's debate on the budget measures on Wednesday next. The fact that the budget is being introduced in October rather than December means that there will be a longer period available for all Members to contribute to the debate on it. One of the major complaints I heard voiced in previous years was to the effect that because the budget was introduced in early December, we tended to run out of road in respect of it as Christmas approached. As already stated, there will be an extended period available this year in which the budget measures can be debated. I would have thought Members would welcome this development.

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