asked the Minister for Finance whether it is intended to resume the planning cycle by the publication of further Green Papers and White Papers on economic planning; and, if so, when it is intended to issue the next such document.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Economic Planning Documents.
30.
I refer the Deputy to my reference in the Dáil on 18 November (column 658) where I stated the Government's intention to have an investment plan for the economy for 1981 ready to be published soon. This investment plan will be followed by a paper dealing with the medium-term aspects of economic development.
Have the Government formally abandoned, or not, the planning cycle of an annual Green Paper, followed by an annual White Paper announced when Deputy Lynch's Government took office in July 1977? Has that been abandined or not?
They abandoned poor Jack, anyhow.
The Government are much more concerned about and determinedly interested in an effective plan at the appropriate time, which the Deputy will be pleased to see.
Which decade?
Very soon.
Another manifesto?
No——
Please, will the Deputies allow the Minister to reply, without interruption?
A short-term, one-year plan and then as part of a medium-term planning process. If the Deputy is preoccupied with colours, whether white or green, he can continue with his preoccupation. I am much more concerned, as are the Government, with the effectiveness of what we are doing.
And well the Minister might be.
Deputy Kelly.
When all that smoke has cleared away, does it boil down to this, that the Fianna Fáil Party——
Would the Deputy ask a question, please?
——will have another manifesto printed, this time in the form of a White Paper paid for at public expense? Is that what the Minister means by short-term planning?
The Deputy can make his comments on the plan when it emerges.
Deputy FitzGerald.
Would the Minister state when the last medium-term programme was produced by a Fianna Fáil Government? Can the Minister remember that far back?
The Deputies are obviously not concerned with charting this economy successfully through the existing difficulties.
We will be, as soon as we get the present Government out.
(Interruptions.)
Please, Deputies.
We certainly are interested in short-term planning.
Question No. 31.
The last time that such a plan was produced was when both of us were in the Seanad.