Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - Departmental Expenditure.

Phil Hogan

Ceist:

212 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Finance the percentage of each Department's Estimate that is spent on pay and pensions for the public services provision in 2003; the percentage in respect of same, including Benchmarking, for 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16480/03]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The 2003 Revised Estimates provides over €38.2 billion for gross spending by Departments and Offices. Of this total, over €5.5 billion is for capital spending and €32.7 billion is for gross current spending on services by departments and offices. The gross cost of pay and pensions is nearly €13 billion or about 40% of gross current spending. The detail by ministerial vote group is set out in the following table.

Ministerial vote group	Per cent of gross current estimate spent on pay and pensions in 2003
Taoiseach's (incl. Legal votes)	48.7%
Finance	67.8%
Justice group	73.5%
Environment, Heritage & Local Government	15.9%
Education & Science group	77.0%
Communications, Marine & Natural Resources	20.7%
Agriculture & Food	22.4%
Transport	7.1%
Health & Children	59.5%
Enterprise, Trade & Employment	23.8%
Arts, Sport & Tourism	19.8%
Defence	74.0%
Foreign Affairs	15.5%
Social & Family Affairs	1.5%
Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs	18.6%
Total	39.6%

The Deputy may wish to note that net voted spending by Departments and offices in the 2003 Revised Estimates is €30.8 billion, of which €5.4 billion is for capital spending and €25.4 billion is for current spending. The net cost of pay and pensions is €12.7 billion or 50% of net voted current spending.

The most recent projections for expenditure in 2004 are those published as part of the Budget 2003 documentation on 4 December last. On the basis of those projections, gross pay in 2004 would be around 40% of total gross expenditure. Definitive pay figures for 2004 will not be available until the Estimates for expenditure for that year are agreed by the Government later this year. These figures will be detailed in the 2004 pre-budget Estimates which I expect to publish, as normal, in November next.