Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister knows, this broad area will be the subject of a three-hour debate tonight and tomorrow night by way of a Private Members' motion tabled by the Members of the Technical Group. The Government's counter-motion makes reference to what appears to be a new initiative. I hope the Minister can set out what that means. The counter-motion states a social impact assessment of the main tax and welfare measures will be carried out by a cross-departmental body led by the Department of Finance, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Social Protection before the publishing of budgets. Will the Minister elaborate on what that means? When he does, we might make some progress on the issue.

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