Joe Walsh
Ceist:180 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the outturn in his Department expenditure for the financial year to date is in line with his departmental Estimate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14538/96]
Written Answers. - Departmental Expenditure.
Due to an industrial dispute, now resolved, in An Post, returns of actual expenditure on most social welfare schemes are available only to end-March 1996 at this stage. On the basis of the available returns, expenditure is broadly on target for the first quarter of the year.
Receipts from PRSI contributions are very satisfactory.
The published live register for 1996 is 275,000. Based on returns so far there is upward pressure on this figure. However, it is too early to predict the eventual figure for the year particularly as the pro-employment measures announced in the 1996 budget will not have achieved their full impact until the second half of the year.
So far as the year 1996 as a whole is concerned, it is too early to predict the outturn on the Social Welfare Vote. The position is, however, being kept under review.