This Government has sought, against the continuing challenging economic backdrop, to protect education spending and maintain frontline education services as far as possible, including targeting support at schools in those areas with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. While dealing with the economic realities has required the implementation of some difficult savings measures in education, my Department is working to provide high levels of services across the education and skills sector, through efficient and effective use of the resources that have been allocated. Expenditure across my Department is the subject of regular review and reporting, with a view to ensuring both that it remains within the set allocation and that optimal use is made of resources. The gross expenditure allocation for my Department for 2014 is €7.857 billion in Voted current expenditure and €546 million in Voted capital expenditure. In addition, there is an allocation of €362 million for current expenditure under the National Training Fund. The current allocation equates to some 17% of total current spending in 2014, while the capital allocation equates to 16% of the overall capital provision. I am satisfied that through efficient and effective use of resources we can achieve much with this allocation.
