Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2016
370. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the groups, persons or political representatives he has met in the context of planning budget 2017 and the Finance Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30952/16]
Amharc ar fhreagra371. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the groups, persons or political representatives that officials from his Department have met in the context of planning budget 2017 and the Finance Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30953/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together.
In the context of preparing the Estimates for Budget 2017, officials in my Department would have engaged intensively with officials from other Government Departments, Offices and public bodies. Departmental officials would also have attended certain bilateral meetings where I met Ministers with responsibility for other Departments.
In advance of Budget 2017, I met along with the Minister for Finance, a number of representative organisations. Officials from my Department also attended these meetings. The representative organisations involved were IBEC, ICTU, the IFA, the ICMSA, the Construction Industry Federation and the Community and Voluntary Pillar. Representation at the meeting on behalf of the Community and Voluntary Pillar included:
- Community Platform;
- Irish Rural Link; Children's Rights Alliance;
- The Wheel;
- Disability Federation of Ireland;
- National Youth Council of Ireland;
- Family Carers Ireland;
- Irish Senior Citizens Parliament;
- Social Justice Ireland;
- Age Action;
- Focus Ireland;
- Co-operative Housing Ireland;
- Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed; and
- Irish Council for Social Housing.
In addition there were other meetings I attended with officials from my Department with organisations including:
- the Construction Industry Federation; and
- the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland.
During September, I met with the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, and also the Committee on Budgetary Oversight. I was accompanied by officials from my Department. The Deputy will appreciate the process leading to the publication of the Estimates on Budget Day is very intensive involving extensive contact and discussions between my Department and other Departments. Further detail in relation to engagements during the period leading up to the Budget is available in my diary and that of the Secretary General of my Department. Both diaries are made available on the website of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: www.per.gov.ie/en/ministers-diary/www.per.gov.ie/en/secretary-generals-diary/.
Finally, the Regulation of Lobbying Act, 2015 provides for a web-based Register of Lobbying to make information available to the public on the identity of those communicating with designated public officials, including ministers, senior public officials and special advisers on specific policy, legislative matters or prospective decisions.
