I welcome the opportunity to appear before the sub-committee to consider the 2012 Revised Estimates for Votes 1 to 6, inclusive. The 2012 Estimates are: the President's Establishment - €3.002 million; the Department of the Taoiseach - €23.627 million; the Office of the Attorney General - €14.997 million; the Central Statistics Office - €43.52 million; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions - €39.553 million; and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor - €32.952 million. The total Estimate for these Votes in 2012 is €157.633 million, a reduction of 20% on the 2011 Revised Estimate of €173.342 million and a reduction of 9% on the 2011 outturn.
I will set out for the sub-committee the broad areas of work which will be undertaken by my Department in 2012. I will also briefly outline the proposed Estimate allocations for the President's Establishment, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. As members will be aware, while I have certain ministerial responsibilities to the Oireachtas in respect of administrative matters in the legal offices, they operate independently of my Department.
The Minister of State will then make a statement on the Estimates for the Central Statistics Office, for which he has delegated responsibility.
Vote 1, the Revised Estimate for the President's Establishment for 2012 is €3.002 million. This includes just over €2 million for pay and administration, with the balance of just over €1 million to fund the centenarian's bounty. It is estimated, although one can never be sure, that 388 centenarians will receive the bounty in 2012.
Vote 2, a total of €23.627 million has been provided in the Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach in 2012. I have circulated to the sub-committee a graph showing the trend in expenditure by my Department in recent years. The graph sets in context the previous scale of Vote. While there is a slight increase between now and next year, the figure declines again. This shows that the Estimate declined from over €42 million in 2008 to €21.309 million in 2011. It also shows that in each year expenditure came in below the Revised Estimate. I informed the sub-committee on my first appearance before it last year that I intended that we would continue to operate within budget, if at all possible. I am pleased to say that the outturn for 2011 was €17.5 million, well within budget, despite significant costs associated with the visits by Queen Elizabeth and President Obama, the transition to a new Government and the inauguration of President Higgins. In 2012, the Estimate increases temporarily by 12% over the 2011 allocation because of the need to meet necessary once-off costs arising from Ireland's EU Presidency and the stability treaty referendum. Following this temporary increase, it is due to continue to decline in 2013 and 2014 to just over €17 million.
In my statement to the sub-committee last year I set out a range of measures I was taking to restructure the Department to transform it into the equivalent of a Cabinet office, overseeing the delivery of the programme for Government. That restructuring is now substantially complete. It includes: the establishment of a new programme for Government office from within existing resources; the establishment of a Tánaiste's office from within existing resources; and the establishment of a new integrated European affairs division, which involved the transfer of staff and functions from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the transfer of staff and functions relating to public service reform to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Members will be aware that the National Economic and Social Forum and National Centre for Partnership and Performance have been dissolved in recent years. A number of other bodies have ceased operation or have been absorbed into the Department. The only State body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach is the National Economic and Social Council. My Department's Estimate includes an allocation of €2.22 million for the NESC. This budget has been significantly reduced in recent years and a number of staff from the council secretariat have recently been reassigned to work on key policy issues in my Department and the Department of Finance. This more effective use of resources has led to an increase in my Department's policy capacity at no extra cost to the taxpayer. I have adopted a similar approach in reassigning two staff from Forfás to my Department to support the vigorous implementation of the Government's action plan for jobs, again at no additional cost. I did this because I believe it is important that the Department of the Taoiseach, together with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, should oversee the implementation of the action plan which is central to Government policy and philosophy.
The Tánaiste and I have made clear that we continue to see the NESC as an essential forum for multilateral social dialogue. The council produces regular reports on economic, social and environmental issues, while providing a forum for engagement between different sectors of society, independent experts and representatives of the Government. It has recently published reports on the economic crisis, on promoting recovery and employment, on supports and services for unemployed people, on quality and standards in public services and on sustainable development. It has also taken on additional work relating to environmental issues, including climate change. The NESC is currently being reviewed as part of the Government's agency rationalisation programme to ensure it operates to maximum efficiency and effectiveness. I understand that this review will be discussed at a meeting of the council tomorrow, prior to proposals being submitted to the Government.
A core task of my Department is to oversee delivery of the programme for Government. The office established within my Department monitors implementation of programme for Government commitments on an ongoing basis. The office has engaged with all Departments and has identified the lead Department for each commitment contained in the programme for Government. It also ensures that departmental strategy statements fully reflect the commitments in the programme.
I met formally with each member of the Government at the beginning of the year to review progress on implementation of the programme within their Departments. On 7 March, following one year in government, the Tánaiste and I published the Programme for Government Annual Report 2012. This report highlights the substantial progress the Government has made during its first year in office. It also identifies particular priorities for the next 12 months, including a continued focus on restoring public confidence in the economy, creating more jobs, providing solutions for families in mortgage arrears, and making Ireland a fairer society.
The Government has also established a new system of Cabinet committees, serviced by my Department. These will continue to provide strategic direction at the centre of Government during 2012. I find the Cabinet committees very useful in focusing on individual issues which need to be progressed. At the heart of this is the Government Economic Management Council, which has the status of a Cabinet committee. The council normally meets on a weekly basis and oversees the Government's approach in respect of economic planning and budgetary matters, negotiations with the EU, ECB and IMF troika, and banking policy. The Cabinet committee on economic recovery and jobs is primarily focused on delivery of the action plan on jobs and other policies to support job creation and a restoration of economic activity.
The Cabinet committee on economic infrastructure seeks to maximise productive investment across the economy, in particular through the NewERA initiative. It will also have a role in other aspects of infrastructure investment and regulation over time. The Cabinet committee on climate change and the green economy deals with strategies to meet our demanding greenhouse gases emission targets, as well as opportunities arising for Ireland in green enterprise.
The Cabinet committee on health is primarily focused on developing and delivering on the Government's ambitious goals for health reform. The Cabinet committee on social policy seeks to ensure necessary reforms and fiscal adjustments are done in way that minimises the impact on the most disadvantaged in society. The Cabinet committee on public service reform is responsible for oversight of the comprehensive reform plan published by the Government last year.
Finally, the Government has established a temporary Cabinet committee on mortgage arrears to ensure an effective and timely response to the problem in this area facing many families across the country. In most cases, the Cabinet committees are supported by a group of senior officials chaired by my Department. In each case, the Cabinet committees report to the Government which retains responsibility for final decisions. Through the Cabinet secretariat, my Department manages the agenda and recording of decisions at each Government meeting, as well as a range of other related functions.
Given the current economic situation, it is particularly important and appropriate that, as Taoiseach, I take a strong international role in promoting Ireland as an attractive location for business, investment and tourism. This will continue to be a significant priority for me in 2012. We have made very significant progress in the past year in rebuilding our reputation. We are conveying the clear message that Ireland is open for business and that our people are working hard to get back on the road to recovery. This is epitomised by comments internationally by business, economic commentators and other political leaders. This work will be assisted by a new unit recently established from existing resources in my Department. The unit will help to ensure a more cohesive approach to our international communications and assist in promoting Ireland as an attractive location for business, investment and tourism. Its establishment was one of the recommendations of the Global Irish Economic Forum that took place last autumn.
As part of this international focus, I will continue to participate in international visits and engagements as appropriate. I have already participated in three successful visits to the United States this year. These included the invest in Ireland round table conference hosted by President Clinton in New York in early March, as well as the traditional St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington where I held a bilateral meeting with President Obama. I also had a discussion with business interests in Chicago and visited the University of Notre Dame and met the board of alumni. The University of Notre Dame is sending over its American football team, with 25,000 people travelling with it.
Another highlight this year was the successful inward visit of the Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping and my return visit to China. I have asked my Department to work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and relevant Departments and agencies to maximise the benefits from these visits and strengthen our economic relationship with China and other significant emerging economies. The access to the most influential Chinese leaders will pay dividends as our working groups follow through on clear export opportunities to China for Irish businesses and, consequently, employment here. There are also possibilities for inward investment from China to Ireland as a gateway to the European Union. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is in China following through on some of these aspects and dealing with areas of clear potential for Ireland.
This year I have also undertaken two visits to Britain, in addition to my international engagements at the European Council and with a number of other EU leaders, including most recently the leaders of Germany, Italy, Denmark and Finland. Ireland's forthcoming Presidency of the European Union provides a tremendous opportunity to build on that work. This Presidency will be Ireland's seventh and will coincide with the 40th anniversary of our accession to the EU. Preparatory work is already well under way and Ireland's role and responsibilities will grow in the second half of this year before we formally take over the Presidency in January 2013. My Department's Estimate for 2012 includes an allocation of €2.2 million for this purpose.
In the first half of next year we will have the opportunity to demonstrate once again our reliability and competence and help to rebuild Ireland's reputation abroad. This will give us the opportunity to shape and advance policy and legislation that can benefit the lives of millions of citizens in Ireland and across the EU. If successfully managed, it will also serve as a firm basis on which to advance Ireland's national and strategic interests over the coming decade. I have stressed, and will continue to emphasise, to all members of the Cabinet that the Presidency must be cost-effective and deliver value for money at every level. All Ministers are aware of that. Planning for the Presidency commenced in 2010 but is now intensifying across Government. Policy planning for the Presidency is being co-ordinated by the new EU affairs division in my Department through an interdepartmental group that is chaired by the Minister of State with special responsibility for European affairs, in close co-operation with the Irish permanent representation to the EU in Brussels. The practical and logistics preparations are being co-ordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
We are working to ensure that expenditure on this Presidency will be considerably less than Ireland's previous Presidency in 2004 through measures including the hosting of many Presidency meetings in State-owned venues and centralised procurement and delivery of key support services. Additional staff are being recruited to my Department on short-term contracts to assist with the considerable challenges of planning and managing the Presidency. Where possible, we have also sought to redeploy staff from other Departments and State agencies. I will address the Dáil in more detail on 9 May during Europe week on the priorities for our Presidency but I stress that we will maintain an unswerving focus on issues of concern to citizens and Governments in Ireland and across Europe and, above all, on ways of advancing sustainable economic growth and creating jobs.
On 31 May the people will be asked to decide if Ireland should ratify the stability treaty. My Department's Estimate includes an allocation of €4.2 million to ensure that over the coming weeks we have an informed debate in which the people have full information about, and understanding of, the treaty and its wider context. The Government believes this allocation, which covers the Referendum Commission and the Government's information campaign, is appropriate given the vital importance of informing the public, while also taking account of national economic circumstances.
This process is already well under way. A series of hearings have already taken place in a special sub-committee of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs chaired by Deputy Dominic Hannigan. Yesterday, the Tánaiste opened the debate in the Dáil and I will contribute to the debate this afternoon. The Government firmly believes that supporting this treaty is absolutely and unequivocally in Ireland's national interest. It is about our future and the future economic well-being of our country.
The Government is putting in place a comprehensive information campaign to ensure that voters are informed about the contents of the treaty. That, in turn, will facilitate a full debate about the decision that we, as a country, have to take on this issue. A key element of this - something that certainly has not happened in recent years - will be a distribution of the full text of this treaty to every household in the country, along with short explanatory material. Earlier today, together with the Tánaiste and Minister of State for European Affairs, I launched a dedicated website, stabilitytreaty.ie. This includes further explanatory material including an article-by-article guide to the treaty and a jargon buster to explain the more technical terms in simple English.
A Referendum Commission is already in place with Mr. Justice Kevin Feeney as chairman. It will be also be launching its own campaign in order to explain the treaty. The referendum allocation in my Department's Vote encompasses a budget of €2.2 million for the Referendum Commission to carry out its work. The commission has a very clear mandate to inform the public and is entirely independent in how it conducts its campaign.
Another ongoing, but essential, part of the work of my Department will be to continue to support me in my work to ensure continued peace and stability in Northern Ireland and further build North-South co-operation. Full support for the continued implementation of the Good Friday Agreement is essential. Life in Northern Ireland has been transformed as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. As co-guarantors of the agreement, the Governments of Britain and Ireland are continuing to work together to ensure its full implementation, as mandated by the vast majority of people, North and South.
The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, and I recently signed a joint statement in Downing Street, setting out how we see British-Irish relations developing over the coming decade. The statement focused particularly on enhanced co-operation across a wide range of areas of mutual interest, including economic co-operation and trade and investment. We re-affirmed our commitment to Northern Ireland and agreed to work more closely together in Europe and on global issues, especially with regard to the growth, jobs and SME agenda in so far as Europe is concerned.
We also discussed how we can work together on the forthcoming decade of centenaries. Good work has already been undertaken in this area, with the assistance of Members from all sides of the House and our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Assembly and in Westminster. My Department is closely involved in that work, which is led for the Government by the Minister, Deputy Deenihan. Deputies will be aware that my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Defence, organised the recent ceremony at the GPO to commemorate the 96th anniversary of the 1916 Rising. It will also co-ordinate the arrangements of the National Day of Commemoration ceremony in July.
My Department's Estimate also includes an allocation of €300,000 for the constitutional convention. The Government has approved the establishment of the convention and has set out its proposals for its structure and operations. I have met representatives of the Opposition parties and the Dáil Technical Group to consult them on the Government's proposals. They have reverted to me with their views. I intend to have a further discussion with those representatives before the formal establishment of the convention. The Government proposes that the convention will be set up by resolutions of the Houses of the Oireachtas and will operate independently. Full discussions will take place in that regard. The resolutions will be introduced in the current session. I hope the convention will hold its inaugural meeting shortly thereafter.
I would like to move on to the individual Votes. In 2012, the Office of the Attorney General has a net budget of €14.997 million. The office has reduced its gross budget by almost 21% since 2008. The measures taken include a reduction in expenditure, where possible, and a reduction in staff numbers. Business units have been reorganised so the office can maintain a high level of service to its clients. The office is fully engaged in all public service reform initiatives, including those under the public service agreement.
The Estimate for Vote 5 - the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions - is €39.553 million. This provides for the salaries and expenses of the director and her staff, the cost of the local State Solicitor service, fees to counsel engaged by the director to prosecute cases in the various courts and legal costs awarded against the State arising out of judicial review and other legal proceedings. The Estimate for 2012 represents an increase of 7.5%, or €2.776 million, over the level of expenditure in 2011. The biggest single factor in this increase is the additional provision made in input A4, under general law expenses. This input covers the payment of legal costs awarded by the courts in judicial review matters and other applications connected to legal proceedings. A provision of €4.348 million has been made in respect of this input for 2012. This is an increase of €1.726 million over the level of expenditure in 2011. Expenditure levels in 2011 on this input were 57% lower than in 2010 and 64% lower than in 2009. Given the evolving nature of decisions with regard to law costs, however, it is considered prudent to make an increased provision for this input in 2012. Provision has also been made to meet once-off fit-out costs of new premises and the cost of moving to these premises in 2012, as well as the cost of salary increments which will arise during the year.
The gross Estimate for Vote 6 - the Office of the Chief State Solicitor - €34.812 million. Payroll accounts for €14.8 million of a total administrative budget of €17.498 million. The remaining €2.655 million within the administrative budget is attributable to the general running costs of the office and includes provision for items such as information technology services, training, security, cleaning, utilities and the upkeep of offices. Some €248,000 is allocated in relation to the payment for external legal services carried on by local State solicitors around the country. Some €17.066 million is allocated for the payment of fees to counsel and other general legal expenses such as stenographers' fees and the engagement of expert witnesses. The combined figures for salary and legal expenses account for 97% of the net allocation in the Revised Estimates of €32.952 million. Appropriations-in-aid are estimated at €1.86 million and will include legal costs recovered by the office along with the recoupment of the pension levy. I thank Members for their attention and commend these Estimates to the committee.
