TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has dismissed claims that the government’s Finance Bill is being rushed through so an early election can be called.
Speaking to reporters in Carlow this morning, Martin was also asked about the Department of Public Expenditure asking a number of departments to submit supplementary estimates for the year, a move usually reserved later in the year.
“No, I wasn’t aware of any acceleration of supplementary estimates. Also I’d make the point that there is no acceleration of the Finance bill,” he said, adding that Finance Minister Jack Chambers certainly isn’t away of the bill being expedited .
“He’s going in accordance with the schedule. Publication of the bill is similar to last year. So he’s working in accordance with the schedule he has been laid down in respect to the Finance bill,” he said.
There are differing views on the significance of the early request for supplementaries, with one minister saying it is “very significant” while another said “I don’t think it is unusual” as the budget was held a week earlier than usual.
Another source predicted it could just be a cautionary move in case the government does fall early.
Since the budget was announced on Tuesday, speculation about when the Taoiseach will call the election has ramped up a notch, with the majority in political circles of the view that the election will be held in November.
The Taoiseach has stated the Finance Bill will go to Cabinet on Tuesday, with the bill expected to be published on the 10 October.
The bill must go through the Dáil before making its way into the Oireachtas Finance Committee with members of that committee stating it could take a couple of days to get through, though it could be hurried along.
It is understood that members of the committee were told that the finance minister is available to appear before the committee 16 October.
Martin told the media today that his own view is that the government has work to do.
“We should complete our work programme and that involves the Finance Bill, the Social Protection Bill, but it also involves the Gambling Bill, the Mental Health Bill, the Planning Bill and the Defamation Bill. We have a tight schedule in the autumn to get that done, but we should get that legislative programme done, do our work, finish our work, and then we can leave it up to the people after that,” said the Tánaiste.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien confirmed this week that the Planning Bill is to be guillotined in the Dáil next week, which has raised eyebrows about moves towards an early election.
At a meeting of the Dáil Business Committee today (the committee which agrees the order of business each week) members were also told that the legislation that underpins the roll out of further energy credits during the winter is also to be guillotined next week, as is the Housing Miscellaneous Bill.
The guillotine is a legislative tool which allows for a debate on a piece of legislation to be stopped after an agreed period of time, regardless of what stage the debate is at.
The use of the guillotine, which is often criticised by the opposition, has raised suspicions among politicians, who are playing a guessing game of whether the election could be held on 15 or 22 November.
During the week, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe moved to dampen the feverish speculation that the giveaway budget was a precursor to an imminent election.
“We now have to do all the legislation to underpin all the spending for next year and Minister Chambers has to do the Finance Bill, which always takes time to do.
“So it’s up to the Taoiseach (and) the party leaders to discuss the timing of the next election. We’ve plenty to do now in the coming weeks and months.”
The finance minister also insisted the government had a “job of work to do” and his focus was now on advancing the Finance Bill through the Dail, which he said will take a “couple of weeks”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say