Seanad debates

Wednesday, 26 March 2003

Finance Bill 2003 [ Certified Money Bill ] : Committee and Remaining Stages.

 

I will use the example of defence. If I use any other area, it will be deemed that I am making a political point against some of my colleagues. If the Government for some reason decides to allocate all the extra moneys to the Department of Defence, that means those moneys must come from other Departments, that they will not get any increase or the allocations of some must be reduced but that is not the way it is. Every Department and Minister will feel that this is terrible, that they will not be regarded as very strong Ministers unless they get an increase for their Departments also, ever though there might be no need for particular schemes. That is the approach we tried to adopt this year in the Estimates with the assistance of the independent Estimates review committee or the three wise men's report. We gave most resources to the Department of Health and Children. It got the bulk of any increases going. Other Departments had to take hits. That is the proper approach to doing business.

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