Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the comprehensive review of expenditure cannot be published at an earlier date in the interest of fiscal transparency. [31659/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) has generated a large number of options for savings and reform measures which are now being considered by the Government in the context of framing decisions on the Budget and Estimates for 2012 and subsequent years.

The Taoiseach outlined to the House last week that the Government has committed to a series of budgetary and expenditure announcements over the next six weeks leading up to the Budget 2012 statement on 6 December.

As part of this approach, on Thursday 1st December I will be setting out the high-level outcomes of the CRE along with the multi-annual expenditure ceilings for each Department for 2012-2015 and the Budget Estimates for 2012. All of the background CRE documents will be made available online at that point.

Following publication of the key documents they will be presented to the relevant Oireachtas Committees for their consideration. This overall approach demonstrates an unprecedented level of transparency, openness and accountability, in line with the Government Programme commitments in this regard.