Vol. 498 No. 6
2 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Finance if he will set out by Vote group expected Government expenditure for December 1998; the end of year outturn in terms of expenditure and revenue; and if it is intended before the end of 1998 to discharge any future liabilities other than those set out in the White Paper. [28200/98]
The tables which I am circulating in the Official Report set out expected
Government expenditure by Vote group for December and the latest estimate of the end year outturn for the major expenditure and revenue aggregates, as forecast by Departments. Forecasts are also given for total 1998 expenditure by Vote group. I have not yet taken any decision to discharge liabilities which are not provided for in the White Paper.
|
Ministerial Vote Group |
December spending as forecast by Departments (supply issues) |
1998 spending as forecast by Departments (supply issues) |
|
£m |
£m |
|
|
Taoiseach |
3,509 |
32,111 |
|
Finance |
130,042 |
569,653 |
|
Public Enterprise |
9,972 |
132,397 |
|
Justice, Equality and Law Reform |
106,683 |
872,256 |
|
Environmental and Local Government |
167,569 |
1,013,904 |
|
Education and Science |
406,239 |
2,498,227 |
|
Marine and Natural Resources |
15,035 |
84,687 |
|
Agriculture and Food |
(64,900) |
407,769 |
|
Enterprise, Trade and Employment |
129,899 |
782,072 |
|
Tourism, Sport and Recreation |
29,544 |
100,184 |
|
Defence |
94,990 |
510,723 |
|
Foreign Affairs |
23,437 |
170,559 |
|
Social, Community and Family Affairs |
285,670 |
2,667,989 |
|
Health and Children |
278,351 |
2,842,345 |
|
Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands |
24,052 |
168,830 |
|
Remuneration |
63,500 |
80,000 |
|
Total |
1,703,592 |
12,933,706 |
Note 1: Total Exchequer issues at end-November to cover departmental spending was £10,788 million. This understated actual spending by about £300 million because below normal issues were made from the Exchequer to the Vote accounts. This was due to temporary operational problems. This technical issue will be regularised in establishing the end quarter statement on the Exchequer position, in accordance with normal practice. The amount of about £300 million will then fall to be added to the total of £1,703.6 million for December shown in the table above in determining total Exchequer issues in that month.
Note 2: The net reduction in Exchequer issues in respect of Agriculture reflects the receipt of £128 million in EU funds. These are brought to account as appropriations-in-aid on the Vote and reduce the requirement from the Exchequer.
Estimated 1998 Budget outturn
|
Expenditure |
£m |
|
Central Fund |
3,436 |
|
Supply Issues |
12,924 |
|
Other Issues |
188 |
|
Total |
16,548 |
|
Revenue |
|
|
Taxation |
16,168 |
|
Other |
1,098 |
|
Total |
17,266 |
|
Estimated Surplus |
718 |
Note: The figure of £12,924 million shown above for supply services is net of an estimated end-year departmental balances figure of £10 million, as at budget time.
Some discretion arises out of an interview given by Dr. Michael Somers, chief executive of the NTMA. He and the Minister attended the Select Committee on Finance and Public Service yesterday evening when we had some opportunity to tease out the issues underlying the interview given by Dr. Somers. I had an opportunity to check the Minister's statement overnight and I wish to ask him a question about it. In reconciling the estimate of the national debt for the end of the year and the current estimate, the Minister indicated there was a deficit of £800 million in the first 11 days of December. Yesterday evening he gave me a breakdown of those figures which suggest some £260 million of Central Fund expenditure was paid out during those 11 days. Given that that is nearly 10 per cent of the total annual expenditure of the Central Fund, why is that figure so high?
I do not have that information with me. I had information on the total amounts paid out of the Central Fund and I gave the Deputy that information at yesterday's committee meeting. I cannot give a breakdown of the amounts paid out of the Central Fund, but considering that Central Fund annual expenditure is approximately £3.5 billion, I regard the amount of Central Fund expenditure for the first 11 days of this month mentioned by the Deputy as extraordinary. I can have that figure checked for the Deputy.
It is just less than 10 per cent of the Central Fund annual expenditure, which is extraordinary. The Minister also indicated yesterday evening that he was considering the possibility of bringing forward future liabilities in 1998. Will he indicate the possibilities he is considering? He appeared to indicate in his response that he has not decided on that yet.
I have not made a decision on the discharge of future liabilities I might bring forward between now and the end of the year.
Is the Minister considering possibilities?
I am always considering matters in the Department of Finance.
With respect, a White Paper was published at the start of December. It is not unreasonable to expect the Minister to flag at this stage whether he intends to pay off what, in many cases, in previous years was hundreds of millions of pounds of expenditure before the end of the year. This is 17 December and I assume any decision on this will be taken in the next three or four days. It is not unreasonable to ask the Minister to indicate what he is considering.
I work up to and on 31 December. I did that last year and I will do the same this year. I am always considering matters in the Department of Finance.
I take it the Minister will not answer my question.
What about Leopardstown?
The Deputies can take it that I consider matters every day of the year.
