Exchequer Deficit

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2015

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Questions (120)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

120. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the contribution, in millions of euro, to the change in the Exchequer deficit in the period January 2015 and April 2015 compared to the same period in 2011 arising from the change solely in voted expenditure; and the principal contributors, in millions of euro, from the various items of voted expenditure to that change in voted expenditure. [19313/15]

Written answers

Minister for Finance

I would point out that the information requested by the Deputy is currently available on my Department's website at the following link:

http://www.finance.gov.ie/what-we-do/public-finances/exchequer-returns/exchequer-statements .

However, the tables following set out the position in terms of Exchequer Deficit and total net voted expenditure for the period at end-April 2011 and at end-April 2015 respectively.

Exchequer Deficit and Net Voted Expenditure:

	End-April 2011	End-April 2015	Change
	€m	€m	€m
Voted Current Expenditure	13,908	13,047	-861
Voted Capital Expenditure	934	672	-262
Total Net Voted Expenditure	14,841	13,719	-1,123
Exchequer Deficit	-9,913	-2,319	+7,594

Total Net Voted Departmental Expenditure (Current and Capital) by vote group etc:

	End-April 2011		End-April 2015
	€m		€m
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	343	Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	319
Arts, Sport and Tourism	72	Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht	83
Communications, Energy and Natural Resources	67	Communications, Energy and Natural Resources	37
Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs	98	Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs	n/a
Defence	272	Defence	277
Education and Science	2,887	Education and Skills	2,632
Enterprise Trade and Employment	243	Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation	213
Environment, Heritage and Local Government	400	Environment, Community and Local Government	145
Finance Group	343	Finance Group	118
Public Expenditure and Reform	n/a	Public Expenditure and Reform	255
Foreign Affairs	237	Foreign Affairs and Trade	177
Health and Children	4,635	Health	4,282
Children and Youth Affairs	n/a	Children and Youth Affairs	368
Justice Group	692	Justice Group	688
Social and Family Affairs	4,217	Social Protection	3,764
Taoiseach's Group (including Legal Votes)	56	Taoiseach's Group (including Legal Votes)	49
Transport	390	Transport, Tourism and Sport	312
Recovery of advance to Social Insurance Fund	110	Recovery of advance to Social Insurance Fund	0
Total Net Voted  Expenditure	14,841	Total Net Voted Expenditure	13,719

Please note that figures are round to the nearest million and therefore rounding may effect totals. 

As the Deputy will be aware, since April 2011, there have been a number of new Departments established and significant restructuring and transferring of functions amongst other Departments.  Therefore, it is not always possible to compare the previous vote group structure position at end-April 2011 with the current voted group structure at end-April 2015.  However, at end-April 2015, total net voted expenditure has reduced by €1,122 million or 7.6% when compared to the same period in 2011.