Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Can I say something? All I am pointing out to the Deputy is that yesterday Deputy Creighton raised the question of a debate on the report of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. In addition to that, she raised the question of a debate on the European Commission, the IMF and others. I have asked the Whip to make arrangements for a debate in respect of what Deputy Creighton asked for yesterday. Deputy Martin is asking for the same debate in respect of one issue. We set up the independent Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. It is not the Government. It has recommended a cut of €2 billion. Our deficit must be below 3% next year. The report produced by the council is a good report that sets out what it thinks should be done. At the end of the day, and as Deputy Martin well knows, the Government must make decisions about the budget based on the information and analysis and the issues it thinks should be dealt with. That is what is the Government will do. It is not a case of taking the report of the independent Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and leaving it on a shelf untouched, unread or unassessed. The Government must make decisions at the end of the day.

In respect of the Department of Health, there are some new personnel, including a new Minister. The expenditure will be somewhere over €12 billion for 2015. These questions have not yet been concluded because discussions are ongoing between the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Health and his personnel-----

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