asked the Minister for Finance if he will state the years in the periods 1932-1948 and 1951-1954 in which a balanced Budget was secured; and, further, the amount of State expenditure in each such year, distinguishing between current and capital expenditure.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Balanced Budgets and State Expenditure.
The comparability of budgetary figures as between the two periods indicated by the Deputy is affected by the systematic segregation since 1950 of certain Supply Services as proper to be met from borrowing. For the period 1951-1954 the outturn of the Current Budget has been shown in Table 1 of the tables supplied to Deputies in connection with the various financial statements. For the period 1932-1948, which includes the war years, I would refer the Deputy to the financial statements for those years and to Account No. 1 of the relevant Finance Accounts. Even without any adjustment of the expenditure figures for services proper to borrowing, the Finance Accounts show that revenue was within £1,000,000 of covering expenditure on Central Fund and Supply Services in the years 1935-1936 to 1937-1938 and that a surolus occurred in the years 1932-1933 and 1947-1948. Particulars of State expenditure in each year are given in the Finance Accounts.