Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to ask about the programme for Government commitment to "open up the budget process to the full glare of public scrutiny in a way that restores confidence and stability by exposing and cutting failing programmes and pork barrel politics". Will the Taoiseach consider giving time in the House to a debate on the budgetary positions of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, the IMF and the European Commission, all of which have expressed concern at the Government's stated budgetary policy and are clearly at odds with the Government's intentions in the budget, which is due in the next few weeks? We are in the extraordinary position in which the chairman of the independent Fiscal Council is threatening resignation because he is so frustrated at having that body's advice repeatedly ignored by the Government. Will the Taoiseach consider a transparent, open debate in this Chamber and at the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform in advance of the budget to ensure that the views of those bodies are heard, that both Opposition and Government Members can be heard and that the Government can have an opportunity to explain itself in advance of the budget and not after the fact?

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