Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Demographic projections are undertaken by the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service, IGEES. It last did so in 2016 with projections up to 2027. Can the Minister speak to the validity of the projections for 2017, 2018 and 2019 where there was a €436 million to €440 million range? Were they accurate? Does the Minister acknowledge that an updated analysis is needed considering how much has changed since the projections were made in 2016? Does he agree that the number of Departments used as a barometer should be increased from three? I am conscious of what the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, said about Government projections, that they were not credible. This would be a means by which that credibility could be somewhat restored.

See this speech in context