Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is correct that the new European semester requires the early publication of this information. Obviously, we have to dovetail taxation and expenditure. It is challenging to do this because one needs the data which only come in during September. It is tight enough to have a proper snapshot of resources that might be available in the subsequent year. There is an opportunity between the publication of the draft Estimates on budget day and the publication of the Revised Estimates for people to review particular expenditure issues and raise matters accordingly. The detailed scrutiny has to happen at committee level. We would like to facilitate that before the end of the year when expenditure begins. That is the whole idea of having the earlier budget.

I have not seen Fianna Fáil's budget proposals yet. If the Deputy wishes to impact on budgetary thinking, publishing them a day or two before the budget is announced is not of assistance.

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