Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2014
89. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has any concerns regarding the ability of any particular Department to stay within budget in 2014; if he has in mind any remedial proposals in the event of any such failure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3162/14]
View answer90. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he is satisfied that adequate provisions remain in place to ensure the ability of the State and semi-State sectors to remain within budget in the current year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3163/14]
View answer94. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, as a percentage of overall expenditure within each Department or its respective subsidiary agencies, the extent of savings or elimination of waste achieved; the degree to which this corresponds with projections and targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3167/14]
View answer95. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he is satisfied regarding the extent to which core or front-line services continue to be maintained in the wake of budgetary constraints forced on his Department by virtue of the economic situation which he inherited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3168/14]
View answer97. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if, in the wake of the exit from the bailout, any particular issues arise of a negative or positive nature with particular reference to maintaining targets previously identified in terms of savings and cutting of costs throughout all Departments and their subsidiary bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3170/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 90, 94, 95 and 97 together.
Each year the Budgetary Estimates are published on Budget day as part of the Expenditure Report, and further detail including agency statements is published in the annual Revised Estimates Volume (REV). These publications compare allocations with amounts for the preceding year. This information is also available at http://per.gov.ie/databank.
The 2014 Exchequer expenditure allocations were set out in the Revised Estimates Volume 2014 (REV 2014), published on 18 December 2013. Managing the delivery of public services within its Budgetary allocation is a core responsibility of each Minister and Department, and several measures are in place to help ensure that budgetary targets continue to be met. My Department is in regular communication with all Departments and Offices to ensure that expenditure is being controlled and we monitor their drawdown of funds from the Exchequer against the published expenditure profiles. Where necessary, my Department meets regularly with line Departments to review financial management. There is regular reporting to Government on these matters, and we publish information monthly as part of the Exchequer Statement.
Over the period since 2009, gross voted expenditure has been reduced from a peak of €63.1 billion to €53 billion for 2014. The General Government Deficit has been reduced from 13.7% in 2009, and we will bring it down to 4.8% this year and below 3% by the end of 2015. This radical improvement in the sustainability of the public finances has helped to achieve our successful exit from the EU-IMF programme of financial assistance on December 15 2013. It has been delivered through the efforts of all Departments and their agencies to seek savings, pursue efficiencies and manage within constrained budgets often while meeting increasing demands for the public services they deliver.
The Government is committed to making fundamental changes to the way the public service operates to safeguard the delivery of essential services in a way that is in keeping with the needs of a modern society while driving value for money for the citizen. The Public Service Reform Plan the second phase of which I launched last week together with the Haddington Road Agreement which is delivering important workplace efficiencies and enhanced productivity are critical in enabling us to achieve this.
