Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 July 2013
427. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the expected carryover of current expenditure savings from 2013 into next year for his Department. [35210/13]
View answer428. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the expected carryover of capital expenditure savings from 2013 into next year for his Department. [35227/13]
View answer429. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the expected unspent capital expenditure from 2013 into next year for his Department. [35244/13]
View answer430. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the expected unspent current expenditure from 2013 into next year for his Department. [35261/13]
View answer431. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the expected carryover of public sector pay savings from 2013 into next year [35267/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 427 to 431, inclusive, together.
It is too early in the year to predict what level of current and capital saving, if any, will be available at year end and-or what the current and capital carryover into 2014 might be.
As the Deputy will be aware, Departments are entitled to apply to carryover unspent capital up to a maximum of 10% of their Voted capital allocation into the next financial year. Proposals for capital carryover are usually submitted to my Department as part of the normal Budget preparations and indicative figures for capital carryover are included in the Budget Estimates. The exact figure for capital carryover is confirmed in the Ministerial Order dealing with deferred surrender of unspent capital which must be made by me, as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, no later than 31 March the following year.
The end June Exchequer returns showed that €927 million in capital was drawn down by Departments and Offices. This is €137 million (12.9%) behind the level that had been profiled in the period. A variance of this order is not unusual and there can be variations in spending patterns between Departments with some ahead of target. Departments have not indicated that they expect any significant savings by year end and so capital expenditure is expected to return to profile by then.
The Medium Term Expenditure Framework, which was first introduced in the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012-2014 proposed that carryover of unspent funds would also be allowed in the area of current expenditure. Departments will now be permitted to carry over unspent current funds (including pay as appropriate) from one year to increase the current expenditure ceiling for the next year. This will be subject to certain limits and safeguards and subject to my final approval. A circular will be issued to all Departments detailing the operational arrangements for current carryover subject to the enactment of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2013 which sets out the provision for multi-annual expenditure ceilings on a statutory footing.
The end-June Exchequer returns showed that Departmental spending remains in line with profile to date with gross voted expenditure at €25,187 million as at the end of June (1.2% or €301 million below profile).
