Finian McGrath
Question:399 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the amount of public money spent on roads, animal welfare and the homeless over the past year. [15579/02]
Written Answers. - Public Expenditure.
The information sought by the Deputy is a matter in the first instance for the following Ministers: roads, the Ministers for Transport and Environment and Local Government; the homeless, the Ministers for the Environment and Local Government and Health and Children; animal welfare, the Minister for Agriculture and Food.
Finian McGrath
Question:400 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider an injection of capital to keep the economy going until an upturn occurs; and if he will further consider borrowing from the European pool of savings at no incremental cost. [15580/02]
My Department's latest forecast for GDP growth this year is 3.5%. The Central Bank in its recent autumn bulletin has forecast GDP growth next year in excess of 4%. These are growth rates well above performance elsewhere across the EU.
The public capital programme has been accorded a high priority in recent years. Public capital expenditure, budgeted at €5.75 billion this year, now represents a much higher share of national income than in other developed countries.