Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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180. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the most recent fiscal council recommendations. [44103/13]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Fiscal Council’s most recent Fiscal Assessment Report was published in April 2013. The Fiscal Council’s analysis and recommendations were considered in my Department’s preparation of its updated economic and fiscal projections, published in the Stability Programme Update. Chapter 5 of this Update contains the response to this report.

This report was largely supportive of the rate of fiscal adjustment chosen by Government, and stated that the fiscal stance remains conducive to prudent economic and budgetary management. Comments were also made about economic forecasting methodologies and risks to the forecast. The report was taken into account when preparing the Stability Programme Update, and Budget 2014.

The Fiscal Council intend to publish their November Fiscal Assessment Report shortly, which will contain their assessment of the official forecasts and fiscal stance within the Budget.