Vol. 440 No. 7
21 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if, in regard to the Estimate for his Department for 1994, he will give the reasons for the increases of 233 per cent in the allocation for office premises expenses, 25 per cent for consultancy services and 53 per cent for advertising and publicity and for the decrease of 42 per cent in the allocation for CERT; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As the Deputy will know, my Department has, since its establishment in early 1993, shared the Kildare Street building with the Departments of Enterprise and Employment and Transport, Energy and Communications. The reorganisation of accommodation in the building to facilitate the needs of the new Department — though provided for in the 1993 Estimate — did not actually materialise in 1993, but is certain to take place this year. The 1994 Estimate, therefore, merely reflects a carryover provision to meet these unavoidable costs.
In relation to the increases in allocations for consultancy services and for advertising and publicity, the reason for the increase is that the Department in 1993 was in its first year of operation and expenditure under these headings was at a lower level than anticipated. The 1994 Estimate provides for a reasonable level of expenditure for a full operational year. Although the abridged Book of Estimates shows a reduction in CERT's grant-in-aid, the total resources being made available to CERT in 1994, by way of Exchequer grant-in-aid and ESF contribution, show an increase of approximately 20 per cent over 1993.
Is the Minister saying that ESF funding has made up the deficit in the allocation to CERT? Did he explain the reason for the 233 per cent increase in the subheads for office premises and the apparently larger actual amount for consultancy services? What are the range of services for which consultants have been employed? Is it just the one we know about or are consultants working on different dimensions of tourism policy? The increase in absolute terms is more than the Estimate has provided for.
I tried to explain in my reply that when the Department was set up in January 1993 a figure had to be subtracted from the Estimates of other Departments to arrive at the figure for my Department in the Book of Estimates. This matter was raised at a sub-committee dealing with the Estimates last year. We made the best possible stab at the figures. Under the subhead for office premises, we provided for £172,000 in the provisional Estimates for 1993 in anticipation that the building would be shared by the Departments of Enterprise and Employment and Tourism and Trade. It was not possible to carry that out and therefore we spent only £26,000 in 1993. The figure in the 1994 subhead is a carry-over from 1993 as we anticipate we will be able to do the work in 1994.
The reason for the allocation under the consultancy subhead is similar and when we were preparing the 1993 Estimates we took a figure and allocated it to the Department of Tourism and Trade. If the Deputy puts down a separate question on the different amounts paid out in consultancy fees, I will supply the information. He also can raise this matter at the Estimates meeting.
The Minister said that CERT still got a greater allocation in spite of a diminution of over 50 per cent. Was the deficit made up from ESF funding?
In the new round of Structural Funds which hopefully will come on stream the ESF intervention rate has increased from 65 per cent in the years up to 1993 to 75 per cent. We will receive a greater amount of money from our European Union colleagues.
