Michael Noonan
Question:73 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Finance the instruction, if any, he has issued to Government Departments regarding Supplementary Estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13637/98]
Written Answers. - Government Expenditure.
No general instruction has issued to Government Departments regarding Supplementary Estimates. However, in line with normal practice, an instruction issued to Departments at the end of 1997 on the arrangements for the monitoring and control of expenditure during 1998.
These arrangements require the Departments to prepare profiles of monthly expenditure in 1998 consistent with their agreed allocations and to report monthly actual expenditure, and the forecast outturn for the year to the Department of Finance. The monthly returns must identify at individual subhead or programme level any likely overruns or savings on the Vote expenditure.
Using these arrangements, my Department will continue to monitor closely expenditure trends during the year. My statement on the end-March Exchequer returns said that spending in the first quarter was broadly in line with expectations.