There is a lot of talk about new politics in this Dáil and many of us are wondering what exactly it means. From my point of view it means more collaboration or trying to seek consensus between different parties and different sides of the House. In the Dáil reform committee meetings one of the aspects to which we returned many times was the recommendation contained in the OECD report on how we budget and how we spend our money or allocate the spending of our money.

The Tánaiste will be aware that the OECD report said the Parliament needed to be involved at every stage, have access to information in a timely manner and be involved in the decision-making process before the real decisions are taken. Maybe we would not have so many problems, such as the waste charge issue today, if everybody was involved from the earliest stage in examining whether a certain regulation would work. This is not insignificant but it affects everything. The process of how we do budgets and work together in framing them is very important.

I was very heartened when the Taoiseach, in response to a question on the Order of Business a few weeks ago, said there was a vital role for the committees, which we are establishing this week, in the process and that we had to get working this June and July rather than wait until autumn to adopt the OECD practices, which are good practices. The scoping committee on the budget scrutiny process met yesterday. We had a useful meeting in which the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Pascal Donohoe, acknowledged that we had to begin now, not wait for a 2018 process. On the question of whether Government Departments would be able to present their bid proposals for the 2017 budget to the new committees this month and next month, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, said we should begin the process now in terms of involving the Parliament in considering the options, where we might save money somewhere and spend it elsewhere.

The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, said he would contact his colleagues. I apologise for springing the following question on the Tánaiste before the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has had a chance to talk to her. Will the Tánaiste and her Department be able, at the end of this month or next month, after the national economic dialogue or the Estimates process we are going through - I see the Tánaiste's Estimate here for this year - to present to the new committee some of the spending or saving proposals she may have to ensure the Parliament is involved properly in the 2017 budget process?

The sort of process the Deputy has outlined is very much one in which we want to engage and every effort is being directed towards it. It involves consultation, discussion and sharing as much information on the budgetary process as possible in advance. There will be an opportunity for Opposition leaders and others to be involved in the national dialogue at the end of this month. The budget scoping committee is considering precisely the issues the Deputy has raised. While the budget scoping committee will have to work out the timing issues regarding presentations by Departments, it is our intention, in so far as possible. Most Departments are still identifying priorities for 2017. The intention is to bring the discussion to the committees and have the opportunity to hear everybody's views on how the priorities will be identified and budgeted for in the 2017 Estimates.

I thank the Tánaiste. I do not want to jump her into something she has not agreed at Cabinet but to consider it on a personal level, in her Department. There is probably political consensus that we need extra gardaí or that we need community policing. While all the Tánaiste's priorities or spending commitments for 2017 might not yet be in place, does she think she would be ready to go to a committee in July and outline some of the priorities she might want to present to her Cabinet colleagues in the budget process? It could help the Tánaiste, and all of us, if we are more honest and open about the various options. Given that we cannot spend on everything, a balancing act is needed. The more open and honest we are about it, the less we will get involved in the kind of dog fights that happened here today about issues such as waste and water in which the Parliament was involved only after the fact.

She should get her colleagues on the justice committee that will be set up to help her to consider those spending options. Will she able to do that in July just for her own Department?

Next week we will discuss the 2016 justice Estimates in the House. I was clear with Cabinet and, indeed, with the House about the priorities that I have in respect of the need to support the work An Garda Síochána is doing at present, particularly in tackling gangland crime, but the programme of Government outlines clearly our priorities. There is no intention to do other than what the Deputy has described on the part of Ministers and the Government. I will be in a position in respect of my Department to outline key priorities but, of course, that process will take a number of months. However, with regard to the initial discussions, I am sure Ministers will appear before committees shortly. The budgetary committee is working out the exact processes and how it is intended for those discussions to proceed. We will get guidelines from that committee and I have no doubt everybody will engage in a proactive way around that.