Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023
129. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the number of times funding was moved across budget lines within his Department in a process known as virement; the name and purpose of the fund the money was taken from; the name and purpose of the fund the money was transferred to; the dates upon which he approved of such transfers, since he took office; and if the Department of Public Expenditure was consulted prior to the transfer [12277/23]
View answerThe Department of the Taoiseach sought and received approval for virement in principle, in full compliance with the Public Financial Procedures, from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform in December to vire monies within non-pay administration subheads. Provisional sanction was also granted to vire surpluses associated with the Tribunal of Inquiry to offset the full cost of holding two Citizens' Assemblies in 2022. As the scope of their work programme was not known at the time of Estimates 2022, a nominal provision only was allocated to the Citizens' Assembly subhead.
As set out in the provisional sanction letter, the Department will seek final sanction for the virement of the exact amounts involved during preparation of the 2022 appropriation account.
