Budgetary Oversight Committee to begin hearings on ex ante scrutiny of the budget

Committee Chair Josepha Madigan said: “The Committee on Budgetary Oversight was set up to improve the level of engagement with parliament on budget decisions.  International experience shows that in a democracy, policy-making is improved when parliament has an enhanced role in budget scrutiny.  

“The job of the Committee will be to examine the foundations on which the forthcoming budget is being built and where evidence points to specific courses of action, the Committee can make recommendations to the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform.”

“Given that it is understood that Budget Day is October 10th (subject to final confirmation), the Committee will hold a series of pre-Budget hearings over a relatively short period between September 12, and October 4, so that we can agree a report before the Budget.  The Committee is also due to meet with the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform and his officials on September 27th.  

“These meetings will provide the Committee with an opportunity to examine key income and expenditure choices available to the Government, and test assumptions that should underpin the Budget. We will also hear evidence of any potential risks to our growth and their impact on revenue and expenditure, should those risks materialise.”

“We also need to examine broader issues that arise from the Budget, including measures to address inequality in our society, and longer-term budget planning issues.  

“Therefore, after the Budget is published, the Committee will arrange meetings on themes including equality budgeting, independent experts and with the Minister for Finance and officials from the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform.”

Among the groups who will be appearing before the Committee in the coming weeks are: IFAC, ESRI, NERI, Chambers Ireland, IBEC, ICTU and the Minister/Department of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform

Committee proceedings can be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.