Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council was established after the last time the Tánaiste served in government, when his party wrecked the economy and brought to IMF to our shores. Yesterday, the council, which is the State's budget watchdog, wrote to the Minister for Finance following the Government's plan to cut the pay rate of the chair of the council. Professor Michael McMahon, the council's the acting chairperson, criticised the proposal in this regard and warned that it could diminish the role of the budget watchdog. He also said such a move could risk damaging the fiscal credibility of the State. The Tánaiste will be aware, as many of us are, that this comes a month after the council criticised the Government for its fiscal gimmickry in the recent budget. It criticised the levels of underfunding of public services, particularly in health. Some economists have commented that it is hard to see what the Government is doing as anything or than an attempt to stifle criticism of the Government.

Why was this decision made? What is the Government's response to the acting chairperson of the budget watchdog? Is this an attempt by Fianna Fáil to undermine the position of a body that was established as a consequence of the party's disastrous economic policy on the previous occasion on which it served in government?

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