Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2021
259. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the multi-annual expenditure ceilings and the carryover impact of current expenditure measures announced in Budget 2022 for 2023 will be provided in the same format as provided in table 7, page 47 of Budget 2020. [56180/21]
View answerThe Departmental expenditure ceilings for 2022 are set out on pages 8 and 9 of the Expenditure Report 2022, with the NDP capital ceilings for the period to 2025 set out in Table 1 on page 249 of the Expenditure Report. As outlined in the NDP, the NDP ceilings include projects funded under the NRRP, with this amount set out in Table 1 on page 20 of the Expenditure Report.
In line with Expenditure Report 2021, indicative current expenditure ceilings for future years will be published later this year, with final ceilings for 2023 and 2024 being fixed as part of the estimates process in respective years, within the overall expenditure parameters set out in the Summer Economic Statement and Expenditure Report 2022, reflecting budgetary decisions at that time, the unwinding of Covid-19 related expenditure and the allocation of funding from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
Under the expenditure strategy set out in the Summer Economic Statement a provision of 3% of the core current expenditure base has been made for existing level of service (ELS) costs for the period to 2025. This is a different approach to that taken previously where an amount was set aside for demographics in Health, Education, and Social Protection; the cost of pay deals; and the carryover of prior year Budget measures only.
The provision of 3% is based on budgets in previous years, and an assessment of the position in advance of Budget 2022 and provides a better estimate of the costs of maintaining ELS and therefore a better assessment of the amount available for new measures to enhance public services including social welfare supports.
The indicative amounts for years 2023 -2025 are given in Box 2.1 of the Mid-Year Expenditure Report. As outlined in this Report, an ELS provision of up to €2.1 billion is estimated to be required in Budget 2023 and the associated costs of the carryover impact of current expenditure measures announced in Budget 2022 in 2023 will be provided from this provision, with the actual carryover cost dependent on the rollout of Budget measures and any impact that the position with the virus has on expenditure plans.
