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

Scenario B covers just a couple of lines in the report before us. Is detailed work being done on that? We have two major proposals about the automatic stabilisers and helps for areas of the economy that will be profoundly affected. In effect, is an alternative disaster budget strategy being prepared? Is there detailed work on that?

Will our net contribution to the European Union in 2020 be higher? Will that be one of the costs we will have to bear as one of the 27 member states? Echoing what a colleague said on green issues, one of the positive sides of carbon taxes is that they may well provide the Minister with more resources to enable a broadening of the tax base to be broadened, although I would obviously argue for the payment of a dividend and the protection of the most vulnerable in society.

Regarding controlling the health budget, we get reports that the recruitment embargo, which was supposed to end at the start of this month, has not ended. Does the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have an input into that decision? Is the Minister able to direct the new director general of the HSE to continue an embargo beyond that time? Is that the kind of cost control the Minister will have?

It is very hard to square the overheating of the economy with what we have to do in Rebuilding Ireland, our infrastructural development and so on? How does that add up?

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