Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 8 Mar 2001

Vol. 532 No. 3

Written Answers. - Exchequer Statistics.

Albert Reynolds

Ceist:

112 Mr. A. Reynolds asked the Minister for Finance the growth rates in GDP terms for each of the years 1988 to 2000 inclusive; the budget deficits and surpluses as appropriate for the years 1988 to 2000 in total amounts and as a percentage of GDP; the borrowing requirements in total and percentage wise; and the total revenue and expenditure, percentage wise, for the years in question. [7297/01]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy):

The following table gives GDP volume growth rates, the amount of the budget surplus or deficit – Exchequer borrowing requirement – and the revenue and receipts as a percent of GDP for each of the years 1988 to 2000 inclusive.

Year	Real GDP Growth	Exchequer Surplus/ Borrowing Requirement£m	Exchequer Surplus/ Borrowing Requirement % of GDP	Exchequer Receipts% of GDP	Exchequer Expenditure% of GDP
1988	7.1%	-619	-2.4%	32.0%	34.4%
1989	6.3%	-479	-1.8%	30.4%	32.1%
1990	4.5%	-488	-1.7%	30.6%	32.3%
1991	1.9%	-245	-0.8%	32.5%	33.3%
1992	3.3%	-721	-2.3%	31.7%	34.0%
1993	2.7%	-693	-2.0%	32.5%	34.5%
1994	5.8%	-672	-1.8%	32.4%	34.3%
1995	9.7%	-627	-1.5%	30.8%	32.3%
1996	7.7%	-436	-1.0%	29.9%	30.9%
1997	10.7%	-235	-0.4%	29.1%	29.6%
1998	8.6%	747	1.2%	28.8%	27.6%
*1 1999 *1	9.8%	1,191	1.7%	28.7%	27.0%
*1, 2 2000 *1, 2	10.7%	2,402	3.0%	28.1%	25.1%

1. For comparison purposes, the figures for Exchequer receipts and expenditure do not reflect the receipts from the disposal of the former Telecom Éireann (£3,677 million in 1999 and £1,171 million in 2000) from which the Exchequer's liability to the pension funds of An Post and Telecom Éireann employees were discharged and the remainder paid into the temporary holding fund. At present, the balance in the temporary holding fund stands at £5.092 billion.

2. The figure used for GDP in 2000 is as forecast on budget day.

Budget deficits and surpluses can also be presented on a general Government balance basis and the following table gives the same details on this basis.

Year	Real GDP Growth	General Government Balance £m	General Government Balance % of GDP	General Government Receipts % of GDP	General Government Expenditure % of GDP
1988	7.1%	-1,009	-4.3%	42.2%	46.4%
1989	6.3%	-435	-1.7%	39.3%	41.0%
1990	4.5%	-669	-2.3%	37.5%	39.9%
1991	1.9%	-727	-2.4%	38.4%	40.9%
1992	3.3%	-787	-2.5%	38.6%	41.0%
1993	2.7%	-770	-2.2%	38.4%	40.7%
1994	5.8%	-533	-1.4%	38.4%	39.8%
1995	9.7%	-770	-1.8%	35.9%	37.8%
1996 *1	7.7%	-80	-0.2%	35.9%	36.1%
1996 *1	7.7%	-101	-0.2%	37.0%	37.2%
1997	10.7%	386	0.7%	36.1%	35.4%
1998	8.6%	1,256	2.1%	35.4%	33.3%
1999	9.8%	1,451	2.1%	35.7%	33.6%
2000 *2	10.7%	3,667	4.5%	35.1%	30.5%

1.Figures from 1988 to 1996 are presented in the European System of Accounts 1979 version and figures for 1996 to 2000 are presented in the European System of Accounts 1995 version. The figures for 1996 are presented in both versions to aid comparison.

2.The figure used for GDP in 2000 is as forecast on budget day.