David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

There is also need for a proper pre-budget debate in the House. We are all being lobbied by many organisations that are hosting pre-budget submissions, all of which are doing good work. Political parties will launch their pre-budget submissions; we launched ours earlier. I ask that a half day be set aside in the House for us to discuss the upcoming budget. There is no point in the Minister for Finance coming to the House after he proposes his budget. He should come to the House before he announces the budget to listen to alternative voices, opinions and proposals from parties and Independent groupings and to give us an opportunity to relay to him the lobbying we have received from groups ranging from the Carers Association and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to the trade union movement and others, which are putting forward realistic, genuine alternatives that should be considered. It would be important for the Leader to provide time in the coming weeks for a proper pre-budget debate and not to have the Minister come to the House after he has put the budget in place.