Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is quite critical of expenditure ceilings. It states they have not worked effectively owing to continual upward revisions in spending. It quoted every expenditure report since 2012. To give an example, the Minister did some public service pay deals on the hoof, including the Garda pay deal and bringing forward increases under the Landsdowne Road agreement. At the Committee on Budgetary Oversight last week we questioned his Secretary General about where the money for the increases had been found. He said that had yet to be identified but that the money would be found. However, he could not give us any more detail. Does that way of doing business not breach the spirit of expenditure ceilings? If the Minister in charge is making policy and spending money in that manner, how does that reflect on other Ministers who are supposed to follow his leadership and guidance?

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