Dáil needs greater say in public spending - Labour
The Labour leader says the Dáil needs to be given a greater say in how the Government spends taxpayers' money.
That is the key element in his party's plan to improve political accountability for public expenditure and cut down on waste and incompetence, says Mr Rabbitte.
Pat Rabbitte has said that strategic spending decisions must be scrutinised in advance.
He wants to appoint an Estimates Commissioner within the Oireachtas to do that.
"We have the ridiculous situation where the Dáil is actually debating the estimates after the estimates have begun to be spent."
"The entire estimates process has to be reconfigured and has to give the opportunity of parliamentary oversight of the proposed expenditure decision in advance."
