Vol. 533 No. 6
63 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Finance the reason the 2002 budget will not be presented until 5 December 2001 having regard to his earlier indications that the budget would be presented in October 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9728/01]
I did not at any stage indicate that budget 2002 would be presented in October 2001. In my press release of 20 July 2000 announcing the alignment of the income tax year with the calendar year, I indicated that in order to facilitate the change it would be necessary to have an earlier budget day rather than early December as at present.
There are a number of complicating once-off factors in relation to the implementation of budget 2002. These include the short tax year, the changeover to euro notes and coins and the need to ensure that the Estimates and budget process is tailored to deal with the alignment of the calendar and tax year. Therefore, the Government decided that budget 2002 should be presented to Dáil Éireann on Wednesday, 5 December 2001.
