John Bruton
Question:18 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will establish a committee system in Dáil Éireann to deal on a line by line basis off the Floor of the House with Departmental Estimates and Bills.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Examination of Estimates and Bills.
It is the Government's intention that Dáil time will be provided in the spring and summer sessions next year to enable each Departmental Estimate to be examined in detail.
Will this allow for amendments to be proposed to individual spending subheads, and individual discussion of individual subheads, or will it simply be a case of having to approve an estimate en bloc without any discussion of individual components?
The Deputy asked for a system whereby Estimates could be dealt with line by line. That will be provided but it would not be proper to have a system of amendments. The Constitution is quite clear on the obligation of the Government in that regard. Of course, suggestions can be put forward by any Deputy.
If there is a proposal to examine Estimates line by line that will be significant progress.
Will the Taoiseach explain, if we are to bring in this new proposal, if we will have extra Dáil sittings, shorter Dáil recesses, or less legislation?
I would warn Deputy Spring not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
It is a practical question.
The preliminary idea is that we should give Fridays over for this. We did this once before.
Is it proposed to deal with the matter on the Floor of the House or to deal with it through some form of special committee system? Is this one of the proposals which has been agreed between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats for the revised programme for Government?
It may be included in our revised programme, but it is certainly something that we decided upon some time ago. We are very conscious of the fact that last year we had a very unsatisfactory way of dealing with the Estimates but that was not the first time it happened.
It was very unsatisfactory.
Deputy Bruton need not be too "holier than thou" about this matter. The Government of which he was a Member were forced frequently to resort to the same procedure, but it is not satisfactory that——
It was never the same procedure as was used this year.
——coming up to the summer recess we have this necessity to put Estimates through very rapidly. We intend to get away from that procedure next year. I would also point out that this Government have instituted a system whereby Estimates are brought forward in this House before the end of the autumn session so that they can be discussed in broad outline before the budget.