Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he has plans to introduce multi-annual budgeting for spending Estimates, borrowing and tax changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23940/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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We have been publishing Budgets on a multi-annual basis since 1997. Table 1 (page D5) of the Budget book outlines the Government's budget position, including expenditure and revenue projections, on a three-year basis. The overall Exchequer and General Government Balance position are also set out for the three-year period in question. Each year's Budget is framed in the context of the overall economic and budgetary position at the time.

Five-year multi-annual capital envelopes were introduced in 2004 to promote the planning and delivery of public capital investment projects over the medium-term. This multi-annual framework will be particularly important in implementing the important infrastructural and other capital elements of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 which the Government launched in January this year.

As part of the ongoing process of budgetary reform, this year I announced that I will bring forward a Unified Budget where my spending and revenue plans will be presented together on Budget day. Policy in this area will be kept under review in the context of the ongoing reform of the budgetary process.