Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 10 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 4

Written Answers. - Pre-Budget Forum.

Austin Currie

Question:

170 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will ensure that an organisation (details supplied) will receive an invitation to attend a pre-budget meeting with voluntary groups on 23 October 2000. [21160/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

As part of the budgetary process, my Department organises a pre-budget forum annually for voluntary organisations representing the interests of social welfare recipients. This year's pre-budget forum will be held on Monday, 23 October 2000. It is anticipated that 28 organisations will be in attendance. The organisations represent the welfare interests of a wide variety of people in Irish society including the elderly, people with disabilities, widows and widowers, lone parents, children, unemployed people, carers and family support groups. The forum gives voluntary organisations the opportunity to have a meaningful input into the budgetary process by ensuring that both I and my officials are fully appraised of their views, concerns and priorities in relation to social welfare improvements.

I regret to say that it is not possible to extend an invitation to the pre-budget forum on 23 October 2000 to the organisation referred to in the question. It has again been necessary this year to limit the number of organisations attending the forum in view of the tight time frame available to participants to present their views at this one day event. However, I assure the Deputy that I am very much aware of the issues which have been raised by the organisation concerned and which have been the subject of correspondence with my Department. It is open to any organisation, including the one concerned, to make a pre-budget submission to my Department on its specific proposals for budget 2001.

All budget proposals received in my Department, including any from the organisation concerned, will be examined in so far as they relate to social welfare matters. While it would not be possible to meet all of these demands in this year's budget, I will nevertheless be endeavouring to respond to the various concerns being raised in formulating my Department's budget package, having regard to the available resources and to the commitments included in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.