Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

58. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of pre-budget submissions received by his Department in relation to budget 2020; the number of these he read in full; the organisations to which they refer; the number summarised by officials for his information; the organisations to which they refer; the number of organisations his Department met following their submission; the procedure followed by his Department in relation to engaging with organisations when a submission is made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48394/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Taxation Division of my Department received in excess of 300 pre-budget submissions in relation to Budget 2020 and the Finance Bill. Some of these are duplicates sent in by different public representatives on behalf of the same organisation. All submissions are acknowledged by the Department on receipt. The relevant officials in the Division consider all pre-budget submissions in the context of the Budget and Finance Bill. They engage with the various organisations as appropriate. This could involve telephone calls, emails, letters or meetings.

I can confirm that I received pre-budget submissions from or on behalf of the following organisations:

I can also confirm that I and/or my officials held meetings with the following organisations who sent in pre-budget submissions:

I also met a Community and Voluntary Pillar grouping including Family Carers Ireland, The Wheel, Social Justice Ireland, Children’s Rights Alliance, Age Action, St Vincent de Paul, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Protestant Aid, Irish Council for Social Housing and Irish Rural Link.

In addition, I should point out that I meet with many public service bodies during the course of the year and there may be correspondence between my Department and those bodies in relation to the Budget and Finance Bill in various forms. These are not included in the list because this engagement is ongoing by its nature and the correspondence would not necessarily be categorised as a pre-budget submission.

The contents of all pre-budget submissions are considered in the context of the forthcoming Budget and Finance Bill regardless of whether they are sent in by individuals, organisations, representative organisations or public representatives. I should also point out that submissions may be received by the Department outside of the pre-budget process but would nonetheless be given due consideration. For example, responses to public consultations could be considered as part of the Budget/Finance Bill process as appropriate. These would not necessarily be included in the lists above.

Finally, I should say that I have endeavoured to give as full and accurate an answer as possible but the Deputy will appreciate that given the sheer volume of pre-budget submissions and meetings at what is an extremely busy time for my Department, some items may not have been included. It is also possible that what an organisation may consider to be a pre-budget submission may not be categorised as such by the Department, nonetheless it would have received due consideration.