Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 14:

In page 8, subsection (6), lines 28 and 29, to delete "in subsection (3)" and substitute "in any of its assessments".

I thank the Minister of State for attending this debate. I look forward to debating our pre-budget submission with him at a later stage. Amendments Nos. 14 and 16 essentially aim to ensure there is adequate public scrutiny of the advice of the fiscal council and the Government's response to that advice. Amendment No. 14 seeks to place an obligation on the Government to respond to all assessments and advice made by the council. I refer not only to advice stemming from the fiscal treaty, but also to advice on budgetary and stability programmes, official forecasts and the Stability and Growth Pact. Amendment No. 16 seeks to ensure the assessments of the council are debated in the Dáil, for example, when its advice is not heeded by the Department.

If we are establishing a fiscal advisory council on a statutory footing to give us independent advice - I am not saying we have to heed or implement that advice all the time - surely that advice merits some type of statement in the Dáil. That would be of particular importance under section 3 of the Bill, which deals with non-compliance with the rules of the treaty. Reference has been made to certain advice that was unheard, unnoticed or dismissed in the past. That has been well documented in the independent reports on the Irish economy that have been released in recent years. If a statutory body is to give advice to the Department of Finance, I suggest that advice deserves a response in the form of an Oireachtas debate. These two amendments call for that to happen. The Government needs to make a comprehensive response to these assessments and ensure they can be teased out in the Dáil.