Capital Programme Expenditure

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

Questions (203)

Kevin Humphreys

Question:

203. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Education and Skills of the €7 million in capital funding recorded as not spent under the expenditure profile at end November in the most recent analysis of gross Voted expenditure Exchequer figures, the reason for the underspend; if he will provide a breakdown of the capital projects or outlays that have not commenced as yet, as per the profile; if any of the €107.2 million in total capital carryover in 2012 relates to his Department; the amount of same; if it has been spent; on what it has been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52948/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department has a capital allocation of almost €433m for 2013 and at the beginning of the year profiled that allocation on the basis of expected expenditure likely to be incurred during each month of 2013. Due to a myriad of factors expenditure on a monthly basis is usually most unlikely to correspond exactly with the profiled amounts as positioned last January. The capital expenditure position at the end of November was €7m behind profile and this arose primarily on two subheads. The Higher Education Sector subhead was over €5m behind profile but will spend its full allocation by year-end. Expenditure on the schools subhead was almost €331m at the end of November and the very small variation from profile of €1.2m has no consequence for the school building programme. The remaining €0.8m relates to variations on other capital subheads. My Department carried over €19m from 2012 into 2013. €10m of the carryover related to schools capital and was expended in April 2013 on the large scale school projects underway at that time. €9m was in respect of the Higher Education Sector and was expended over the months April, May and June 2013 on claims in respect of Higher Education projects.