Vol. 241 No. 8
asked the Minister for Finance what progress has been made with the general review of the tax structure referred to in Chapter 15, Par. 20 of the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development; when he expects this review to be completed; and whether he will publish a White Paper on its results before taking decisions on matters arising from it.
42.
asked the Minister for Finance what progress has been made with the major overhaul of the whole system of local taxation referred to in Chapter 15, Par. 25 of the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development.
43.
asked the Minister for Finance whether he will publish national accounts estimates for estimated future Government expenditure side by side with the traditional budgetary format as proposed in Chapter 15, Par. 14 of the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development.
44.
asked the Minister for Finance what progress has been made with the application in two or three Departments of the proceduers for programming and analysing public expenditure, referred to in Chapter 15, Par. 43 of the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development.
45.
asked the Minister for Finance what progress has been made with the studies of the activities and functions of the county development teams and of the Central Development Committee referred to in Chapter 14, Par. 28 of the Third Programme: Economic and Social Development; and whether he will consider the establishment of a decentralised rural development authority with a view to furthering the aim of economic expansion and social progress in rural areas.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 together.
Chapter 19 of the Third Programme outlines proposals relating to the implementation of the programme and provides for a periodic and comprehensive assessment of progress, which will be published prior to the Budget each year. The progress report will cover, inter alia, the matters raised by the Deputy.
When will the progress report be published?
Before the Budget each year.
Could the Minister give us some more information in the meantime? Does this suggest none of these things will be done before the Budget?
No.
Because if any of them are going to make any progress before the Budget it would be better to know that now rather than to wait until after it has happened.
I think it is better to have periodic reports to the House rather than deal piecemeal with all these individual items. If the Deputy is anxious about any one particular matter I shall facilitate him in regard to it.
It seems somewhat unsatisfactory to adopt that procedure. The normal procedure is to put a question in the House as to what progress has been made in regard to something that the Government has announced is going to be done. To say we can only hear what progress has been made once a year, when many of these things would come to fruition within that year, seems unsatisfactory. I would urge on the Minister that when questions of that kind are put he should answer them to the best of his ability at that point in time.
I think my way is the better way.
