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Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 July 2014

Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Questions (197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 203, 204)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

197. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he will take in the context of Budget 2015 to encourage economic growth and thereby reduce the level of Departmental spending reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30354/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

198. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the full extent of the spending cuts and reform undertaken and maintained by each Government Department over the past five years to date; if any specific Departments have been particularly affected by such measures with consequent effect on the delivery of services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30355/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

199. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if any evaluation has been done on the consequences if no corrective spending or reform measures had been undertaken by his Department over the past three years; the effect this might have on ability of the economy to deliver public services and meet salaries/pension requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30356/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has carried out research into what may have happened had his Department failed to meet targets set down by the Troika over the past three years; if a particular impact on wages, salaries and services throughout the public and private sectors has been examined in this context; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30357/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

201. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which efficiency and cost effective targets continue to be met throughout the public sector; the extent to which this has benefitted the economy in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30358/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

203. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which ongoing analysis takes place throughout each Government Department and/or its subsidiary bodies to identify where any adjustments might be possible to encourage economic growth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30361/14]

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Bernard Durkan

Question:

204. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the particular Government Department if any most likely to present a challenge in the context of meeting the spending targets laid down and agreed with the troika by his predecessors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30362/14]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 197 to 201, inclusive, 203 and 204 together.

Managing the delivery of public services within Budgetary allocations is a core responsibility of each Minister and Department, and several measures are in place to help ensure that these 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.  At end June, voted expenditure was on track in overall terms, with about 49% of the gross allocation spent.

Over the period since 2009, gross voted expenditure has been reduced from a peak of €63.1 billion to €53 billion for 2014.  My Department has an on-line databank of detailed expenditure analysis showing each Vote available at databank.per.gov.ie;  it covers a twenty year period from 1994 to 2014.  The General Government Deficit has been reduced from 13.7% in 2009, and we will bring it down to 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. 

As the Deputy will recall, when we originally entered the EU-IMF Programme in late 2010 the country was facing significant challenges: the banks were in crisis, unemployment was on the rise, and our overall competitiveness had declined dramatically. Added to this, our reputation within the EU and the wider world was at an all-time low. Tax revenues had declined sharply, while public expenditure on the other hand had accelerated.

Entering the programme and delivering on its targets, gave Ireland the time and opportunity to manage the crises it faced in a more measured and less severe manner than would otherwise have been possible.   The clear objective of this Government was to emerge from the programme with a leaner, fitter and stronger economy and with our banking system stabilised and no longer a source of instability. Now, more than three years on, we can honestly say that we have made meaningful progress in this regard.   

Had we failed to attain the targets set down by the Troika we the debt and deficit levels would have continued to increase to unsustainable levels and we would have no access to the financial markets. Stability has been returned to the public finances through the sustained efforts of all Departments and their agencies to make 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, and makes the best use of resources while driving value for money for the citizen.  Public Service Reform has been a key element of the Government's strategic response to the economic crisis and is a central theme in the Programme for Government.  The Public Service Reform Plan 2014-2016, published in January this year, contains a detailed action plan with clear timelines.  Public procurement is a key area of reform as is the Haddington Road Agreement which is delivering important workplace efficiencies and enhanced productivity.

In setting Budgetary allocations, the Government balances the requirements of bringing sustainability to the public finances, promoting and supporting economic recovery and protecting the most vulnerable in society. The second Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) is underway and will be published alongside the Estimates in October.  The CRE process will allow Government to evaluate how resources are being utilised, prioritise key areas of spending and will set out current expenditure ceilings for all Departments for the period 2015 2017.

Since July 2012 I have made a number of announcements in relation to additional capital investment which is primarily focused on projects with a high employment impact and which can benefit local economies throughout the State. It is also predicated on the use of non-traditional funding methods e.g. private financing through the PPP structure and additional Exchequer investment through reinvestment of proceeds from the sale of State assets and the new licencing arrangement for the National Lottery.

A review of the public capital programme is currently underway which will culminate in the setting of the Government's capital investment framework for the period ahead.  The use of further proceeds arising from the sale of assets will be considered as part of the review.  The review will also examine the scope for the utilisation of other non-traditional funding sources to augment investment in employment intensive projects that can promote economic growth and best meet our infrastructure needs.

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