Vol. 473 No. 1
3 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach the reason for a 14 per cent increase in the cost of administration in his Department in the 1997 Book of Estimates, without taking account of increases in remunerations and pensions. [24527/96]
The increase in the 1997 Estimates is for administration expenses of my Department. The primary additional costs arise from the Strategic Management Initiative, improvement of security facilities in the Department and a reorganisation of the Department's library and information systems.
Will the Minister agree that increases in expenditure in the Department of the Taoiseach have set a bad example which is out of line with what would be prudent for the nation's finances? Will he also agree that the Taoiseach has made no attempt to control expenditure in his Department?
I do not accept that. The increase in the Estimates for the Department of the Taoiseach for 1997 is approximately 5 per cent. This is a small increase given that there will be a lot of expenditure in the coming year under the URBAN Initiative and for Border developments. The Taoiseach has given a strong lead in controlling public expenditure in his Department. The additional costs arise from the Strategic Management Initiative, improvement of security facilities and a reorganisation of the library system.
Is it true that the Estimate for the Office of the Tánaiste has decreased this year in comparison with that for the Department of the Taoiseach, which is leading the way with a 14 per cent increase?
These questions refer to the Taoiseach.
I do not have the Estimate for the Office of the Tánaiste but the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach shows substantial decreases, such as 50 per cent and 90 per cent in two cases. There is a marginal increase of 5 per cent for the URBAN Initiative in 1997 and developments in the Border regions. This is a book entry because the money will come from the European Union.
Not for administration.
