Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
256. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide the capital investment and investment in education, health and child care, respectively, as a percentage of the GNI* data as opposed to GDP for the most recent year available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36893/17]
View answerThe latest published figures available for GNI* are for 2016.
The figures outlined in the following table demonstrate the substantial level of investment which was made in these public services in 2016.
As Ireland’s economic growth is maintained on the basis of the Government's prudent and responsible approach to fiscal policy and in keeping with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to increase investment in public services, the Government has increased investment in all of these sectors in 2017. Indeed, the health allocation of €14.1 billion included in Budget 2017 means that spending this year will exceed its 2009 peak, both in total and per capita. Furthermore, as outlined in the 2017 Summer Economic Statement, public capital investment will increase by over 70% over the next four years to almost €7.8 billion by 2021.
In addition, as highlighted by the recent Spending Review, as far as current spending is concerned, and in the Committee on Budgetary Oversight's recent report on infrastructure and capital investment it is important that all public spending is undertaken on a value-for-money basis.
|
€ million |
2016 |
As a share of GNI* |
|
Total Gross Voted Capital Expenditure |
4,107 |
2.17% |
|
Gross Voted Expenditure by the Children and Youth Affairs Group |
1,063 |
0.56% |
|
Gross Voted Expenditure by the Education & Skills Group |
8,327 |
4.40% |
|
Gross Voted Expenditure by the Health Group |
13,649 |
7.22% |
Note: GNI* for 2016 is €189,163 million.
Source: DPER Databank (http://databank.per.gov.ie/), CSO National Income and Expenditure Annual Results 2016 - Annex 1 (www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/nie/niear2016/).
