Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2017
399. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if she will provide a breakdown of the capital underspend in her Department; the capital underspend per Department scheme and per local authority, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24173/17]
View answerProvisional expenditure figures in respect of my Department at Vote level as of 30 April 2017 indicate that there is a capital underspend of approximately €7 million. This underspend represents 6% of my Department's gross capital allocation for 2017 (excluding capital carryover).
The underspend has primarily occurred because of timing issues in relation to the quarterly drawdown of funding by bodies and institutions under the aegis of my Department and also some delays in the drawdown of funding in relation to a number of schemes and projects across my Department's programme areas including Built Heritage, the Islands, LEADER and Rural Development Schemes. Expenditure on capital projects and schemes should intensify over the coming months as planning and preparatory works are completed and projects begin to mature.
All expenditure within my Department's Vote is subject to an ongoing internal verification and monitoring process to ensure the best use of available financial resources. Adjustments may fall to be made between subheads as part of this process and all figures are subject to audit by the Office of the Auditor and Comptroller General. Outturn figures on a subhead by subhead basis are therefore only made available in the Annual Appropriation Accounts which are published and made available on the website of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
