I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 119, 120, 126, 137, 138, 338 and 383 together.
The Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure in 2012 of nearly €20.55 billion. This includes expenditure of €2.08 billion on child benefit, some €6.26 billion on pensions and €3.44 billion on illness, disability and caring schemes. In total, expenditure on these areas amounts to over 57% of the total expenditure of my Department.
The Government is considering the appropriate level of expenditure on the wide variety and schemes and services operated by my Department in 2013 in the context of the forthcoming Budget. The outcome will be announced on Budget Day.
I recognise that managing expenditure in 2013 and beyond will be extremely difficult and requires a critical analysis of all expenditure items. In this regard, I held a pre-Budget forum on Friday 12th October which was attended by thirty community and voluntary groups, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and groups representing people with disabilities. I listened carefully to the groups’ views and proposals in relation to the forthcoming Budget and I am considering all submissions made to me in that regard, including written submissions made by Barnardos and the Society of St Vincent de Paul, and the report recently published by the Society of St Vincent de Paul, The Human Face of Austerity.
As part of the Budgetary deliberative process, the Department will analyse, in so far as possible, the distributive and poverty impact of possible welfare changes to all welfare recipients including different family types including those with children and male/female poverty impacts. Finally, the Department will prepare a similar analysis of the overall Budget 2013 tax and welfare packages when they are finalised.