Dáil committee wants September Budget

WASTE of taxpayers’ money could be cut if the Budget is switched to September, an influential Dáil committee stated yesterday.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) wants the set-piece occasion of the Dáil year moved back three months to allow for much greater scrutiny. A PAC report recommends the Budget should be announced when the Dáil resumes after the summer recess.

It could then be examined by an enlarged finance committee before the Finance Act is passed.

PAC chairman Michael Noonan TD warned that at the present the watchdog committee can only discover examples of waste in public spending “after the horse has bolted”.

He insisted a reformed system would give much more time for the Oireachtas to pore over proposals and spot potential problems - such as the PPARS health service payroll system which has cost €140 million and does not work.

Labour leader and PAC member Pat Rabbitte TD drew up the report, which was approved by the all-party committee.

He insisted the proposed system would allow for proper scrutiny of Government spending plans and would cut down on waste.

Mr Rabbitte pointed out that, at the moment, estimates are examined by various committees that generally pass them “on the nod” because by the time they consider them, half of the money is already spent.

The health committee spent just two hours and 10 minutes examining the €11.9 billion spending programme of the department it monitors. The Social Welfare Committee spent just 15 minutes more looking at the €12.2bn budget of the department it keeps an eye on.

Mr Rabbitte said moving the Budget to the beginning of September would allow for the Government estimates to be published on the same day to give a clearer picture of expenditure.