The Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) has called for earlier publication of the Government's spending plans to allow greater parliamentary scrutiny ahead of Budget Day.
The report by the PAC proposes a number of reforms of the budetary process including the Abandonment of the abridged Book of Estimates and earlier publication of the White Paper on Income and Expenditure with the incorporation into the paper of an economic commentary and forecasts.
The report, largely written by Labour Pary leader Pat Rabbitte in his role as a member of the PAC, also proposes the publication of the Estimates and the Budget as a single event, staged in September or October, before proceeding immediately to scrutiny by the Oireachtas.
The proposals would allow greater parliamentary scrutiny of spending plans and any alterations would be made at this stage by the legislature.
The report also recommends that the role of the current Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service should be enhanced in order that it would scrutinise the spending plans of all Government departments.
The report also calls for the establishment of a team of financial specialists with the power to analyse spending estimates across all Government departments.