Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with the Minister that it should not be code for a free-for-all in terms of every Department getting whatever level it wants, but this is a "Yes, Minister" code to stymie a process that now, for a second year running, has stopped the reform that we all sought to bring in.

We all know the budget process starts now. It will take us several months to carry out an interview process. We will not have the office in place until at least early summer, perhaps the end of June. It effectively means that for a second year running we are not able to do what we set out to do, which was to really get stuck into the budget process. How is it, and I hate to say it, that nothing has been done? I do not know whether the blame lies here with the Oireachtas or with the Minister's Department, but it was agreed that it was critical that this be in the programme for Government. It was written very well in the programme for Government. There was no disagreement on it.

4 o’clock

There was widespread support and the Committee on Budgetary Oversight held plenty of hearings. We went into detail on this and brought in English authorities from a similar office. We did all the work and the process stalled. Nothing happened for six months.

The Minister said things are happening. We are only now advertising the post, following a delay of six months which means we will not be involved in the 2018 budget, be properly set up in time for the review of the capital plan and not involved, as we should be, in pay talks and the complex budgetary issues we are facing. Would the Minister not agree that, no matter whether it is the fault of the Department or Oireachtas, the delay of six months is disgraceful?

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