Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2012
100. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection following the revised estimates 2012 which provided for a deficit in the Social Insurance Fund of €1.82 billion in 2012 which her Department has acknowledged is now likely to be exceeded in 2012, the amount by which it is likely to be exceeded; and the amount of the total Departmental spend for 2012 is expected to be. [44564/12]
View answerThe 2012 estimate for the Department provides for a Social Insurance Fund deficit of €1.82 billion. At the end of September, the deficit amounted to more than €1.7 billion because, while expenditure during the first nine months was on target at €6.6 billion, income was more than €¼ billion below target at just under €4.9 billion. It is expected that spending on Social Insurance Fund schemes, services and administration will be on target for the full year but the Social Insurance Fund deficit will be in the region of €2.1 billion to €2.2 billion due to the shortfall in PRSI contributions. The Department’s expenditure is incurred almost entirely on payments to individual recipients based on predetermined qualifying conditions and rates of payment, most of which are set out in legislation. The expenditure, which is demand led, is driven by economic, social and demographic factors. The 2012 estimate provides €20.55 billion for total Departmental expenditure on schemes, services and administration. At the end of September, total Departmental expenditure amounted to €15.5 billion, which was some €135m. more than planned. It is expected that the outturn for the full year will be in the region of €20.7 billion to €20.8 billion.
