The Expenditure Review Committee (more commonly known as An Bord Snip) was an advisory committee established by the
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The gover ...
in 1987 to recommend cuts in state spending.
Establishment
The committee was established by the then
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the o ...
,
Charles Haughey
Charles James Haughey (; 16 September 1925 – 13 June 2006) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach on three occasions – 1979 to 1981, March to December 1982 and 1987 to 1992. He was also Minister for the Gaeltacht from ...
, and the
Minister for Finance Ray MacSharry
Ray MacSharry (born 29 April 1938) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Tánaiste from March 1982 to December 1982, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development from 1989 to 1993, Minister for the Public Servic ...
. It was a three-man committee comprising two senior civil servants, Sean Cromien and Bob Curran, and a private sector economist,
Colm McCarthy.
Etymology
''An Bord Snip'' was a colloquial, comic term for the body. It is a mix of
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
words, literally meaning "the snip board". Many state agencies in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
have the words ''an bord'' (meaning "the board") in their title, for example
Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (; meaning "Sea Fish Board" or "Irish Sea Fisheries Board"; BIM) is the agency of the Irish state with responsibility for developing the Irish marine fishing and aquaculture industries.
Originally established under the Sea ...
(the Irish Sea-Fisheries Board); "snip" refers to the cost-cutting remit of the group. In 2008 another board with a similar remit was established, referred to as "
An Bord Snip Nua". ''Nua'' is the Irish word for "new".
See also
*
Public service of the Republic of Ireland
The public service ( ga, seirbhís phoiblí) of Ireland refers to the entirety of public administration within the state government apparatus. The Irish Department of Public Expenditure and Reform defines the Irish public service as consisting of:
...
*
State-sponsored bodies of Ireland A State-Sponsored Body is the name given in Republic of Ireland, Ireland to a government-owned corporation, state-owned enterprise (a government-owned corporation), that is to say, a commercial business which is beneficially owned, either completely ...
*
Economy of the Republic of Ireland
The economy of the Republic of Ireland is a highly developed knowledge economy, focused on services in high-tech, life sciences, financial services and agribusiness, including agrifood. Ireland is an open economy (3rd on the Index of Economic ...
References
Economic history of the Republic of Ireland
1980s in Ireland
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