Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy made a proposal in this area, although I saw the merit in doing it. He suggested a process be put in place to form a view on sustainability. The IFAC outlined a very broad range of scenarios. It suggested that €3 billion to €6 billion of the approximately €10 billion we collect may be at risk. That is very broad guidance from which it then advises me to work. I will be very brief; I know Deputy Pearse Doherty is next. I want the Department of Finance to lead the work. It is not appropriate to outsource key projects that could affect important economic decisions. I will then look at how that work and those recommendations can be externally validated to ensure we receive a different perspective on the analysis. The Deputy is right. When a group of people is working on any key issue over a prolonged period, week after week and month after month, it is appropriate to sense-check the conclusions reached.

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