Paul McGrath
Question:73 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he has requested his officials to prepare a costing of the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14618/02]
Priority Questions. - Programme for Government.
The programme for Government represents a comprehensive and ambitious programme of work for the Government over the next five years. It sets out in some considerable detail the Government's plans covering, inter alia, all areas of public expenditure, taxation and the management of the economy.
As is the case with all such programmes, this programme will be considered in detail by Ministers and their respective Departments. Over the years ahead proposals for the effective and timely implementation of the measures, within available resources, will be considered. Final decisions on the nature, costings and phasing of policies contained in the programme will be a matter for Government, following consideration in the usual way through the normal Estimates and budget process.
The Deputy will be aware that the joint programme has been agreed in the context of our international obligations under the stability and growth pact which provides the overriding framework for the Government's fiscal policy. Under the pact, Ireland has given a sovereign commitment to keep the finances of general government close to balance or in surplus and to take corrective action when there is an actual or expected divergence from this objective. The Government is committed to implementation of its programme in a prudent manner taking account of the pace of economic growth and fully respecting the need to ensure the sustainability of the public finances.
I find it hard to believe what the Minister is saying is accurate. During the general election campaign the Government claimed that programmes put forward by Opposition parties had not been properly costed and for that reason the public should not vote for those parties.
I suggest that people listen to what I say.
The Minister is now telling us that the Government's programme has not been costed. Can such a Minister have any credibility?
Is the Minister confident he can implement all the items in the programme? Has he set phased targets so that parts of the programme can be implemented year by year?
I have no doubt that the costings given for individual programmes were correct but the manner in which the document was put together by Deputy McGrath's party ignored the costings given to it and went on willy nilly. It was farcical to claim that the Department of Finance had costed his party's programme. The Department has costed individual proposals but no one in the Deputy's organisation put those costings together. That was the difficulty.
The overriding principle of the Government's programme is the same as that of the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats election manifestos. I made it clear to my colleagues in Fianna Fáil before the election that we could promise anything we liked but the principle of the stability and growth pact had to be met. The Fianna Fáil election manifesto was criticised in the early days for its lack of specific commitments. The overall commitment to the principle of the stability and growth pact was there from the start. The Progressive Democrats made the same commitment in its manifesto and that is the overriding principle in the joint programme for Government.
The Government can decide what will be done next year or the year after under a variety of headings. My party has given a commitment that its priorities will be health, crime, education and pensions for the elderly.
The Government has reneged on pensions already.
The manifesto is a joke.
Coming from such a competitive constituency, Deputy McGrath will appreciate that budget priorities are like the electoral system. One can only give one's number one vote to one person. Everything cannot be a priority. In the past Governments have suffered from trying to make everything a priority. We have stated clearly what our priorities will be and irrespective of what happens the terms of the stability and growth pact will be met. That is our overriding commitment.
The priorities are set out in the programme for Government but the overriding rule is to keep the public finances close to balance or in surplus. I made that clear at the beginning of the Fianna Fáil election campaign and it continues to be the situation.
I am glad the Minister had conceded that it is hypocritical to criticise the funding projections in an election manifesto and then to fail to cost the programme for Government.
Deputy McGrath's costings were not right.
Since he concedes that the programme for Government is unlikely to be implemented can he confirm that no tax increases will be imposed in order to implement it?
The last programme for Government was criticised by the Opposition for being too specific. Almost every line of it was implemented during the five years of the last Government. The Department of Finance can give individual costings for all the commitments in the Progressive Democrat and Fianna Fáil programme, but they will not all be done on the one day or in the one year, because the overriding considerations are the terms of the stability and growth pact and the long-term sustainability of the public finances. Whatever is necessary to ensure that will be done. The Deputies can take my word on it.
The Minister is now conceding there will be tax increases.