Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Returning to the Taoiseach's earlier remarks, I hope, and it is still my ambition, to be a Member of a left-led Irish Government. I will take whatever decisions have to be taken then. I believe that will happen. I am fully aware of the socio-economic reasons for many tax expenditures. The issues I am raising relate to definitions, costings, transparency, above all, and systematic evaluation, including sunset clauses. I refer to yesterday's presentation. We did not get it in the budget book. That is unacceptable and the Taoiseach will agree with that. We have got to have the full picture and the full statistics for our constituents.

The EU Commission, a few years ago, examined tax expenditures throughout the Union and stated they amount to a non-negligible share of GDP in almost every EU member state. It ranged from small percentages of GDP such as 1% or 2% in France and Germany, to between 9% and 11% in Ireland, Italy and the UK. We seem to be one of the highest outliers. Does the Taoiseach or his Government ever intend to have a target cap on expenditures and, if so, within what range? The Taoiseach did not answer me in respect of the figures for 2017 because he does not know them. Nobody in this House knows them because the costings have not been done. Can we set up a system of accountability and perhaps insert it in the finance Bill? The Committee on Budgetary Oversight and the PBO have been among the great successes of this Dáil in respect of ex ante evaluation and working closely with all the agencies.

See this speech in context