I support that idea. I have two questions about the national economic dialogue which I was delighted to attend last week. I was the only Senator present and I am particularly grateful to the Leader for helping me to be there. I am not sure why I was the only Senator present.

Perhaps it was because, even though we had things to say about money Bills, we did not have votes on them. As we said during the debate on Seanad reform, we have a great deal of expertise that feeds into how the country sets its budgets and its priorities in that regard. I suppose this leads me to my first question which relates to the issue of Seanad reform. I understand there was a meeting of Opposition leaders and the Taoiseach on the evening of the most recent debate on the Manning report. I heard about it. It seems that at this meeting there was a debate but no consensus. According to the newspapers, the report is going to go to the Dáil for debate and perhaps a Bill might be introduced on the basis of whatever consensus is achieved. I wonder whether this is the best way to do the business of achieving Seanad reform. Perhaps it is a way of doing business while ensuring the Seanad is not reformed. I suppose my question relates to whether we will have a Bill on Seanad reform in the autumn.

I will return to the national economic dialogue for my second question. The matter of the engagement of parliamentarians with the Government in the budgetary process which we have often raised here was raised at the forum. It would be preferable if we could be engaged in pre-budget discussions rather than post-budget discussions. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, indicated at the conference that he had written to every committee in January last year to look for suggestions on the setting of budgets, but that no committee had responded. There was no engagement, at least in that way. I wonder whether that resulted from a problem with the committees or a difficulty with the process. How can we get more pre-budget engagement from parliamentarians as part of a more open, transparent and inclusive process? I enjoyed the national economic dialogue very much. I thought it was terrific. We were able to listen to parliamentarians, members of civil society and representatives of lobbying groups. However, that is not how we should debate our priorities when setting budgets. Similarly, debates within individual committees are not the best way to go about this work. I suggested we might need to keep child benefit where it is and instead invest more money in children's early years services. Professor John McHale, the director of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, mentioned to me in conversation that the OECD had been asked by the Government to make recommendations to it on how parliamentarians might engage in the budgetary process. Can we hear about what these recommendations are when they are lmade? More importantly, I would be willing to come in to have a debate at a committee meeting in September. I might even participate with the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform in debating priorities for budget 2016.

The Senator is way over time.

I appreciate the indulgence of the Chair. Will the Leader ask the Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, if that is possible?