Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013
14. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason his Department has been given significant increases in some administration spending, such as travel, €452,000, postal and telecoms services, €451,000 and office equipment and external IT services, €945,000, in Budget 2013. [1676/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra23. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the programmes that will benefit from the €3.6 million increase in the Consular, Passport and Irish Abroad Services of his Department that are outlined in Budget 2013. [1674/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra28. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will explain the decrease in the Promote Ireland's Economic and Trade Interests in Europe and Internationally section of his Department, as outlined in Budget 2013, by more than €1.1 million; the reason it was cut while recent trade figures demonstrate this State's over reliance on trade of chemical and related products and the EU and American market. [1673/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 23 and 28 together.
With the move to Performance Budgeting in 2012, the layout of the Estimates has changed. All expenditure is now grouped under Departmental programmes which combine administrative and direct expenditure attributable to each area of activity. The Estimates for 2013 published on 5 December last in respect of my Department show an overall reduction of some €4.1 million for Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) compared with the allocation for 2012.
In preparing the budget, every effort was made to protect direct expenditure in areas such as Promoting Ireland’s Economic and Trade Interests in Europe and Internationally; Consular, Passport and Irish Abroad Services and Reconciliation and Cooperation on This Island.
The particular adjustments raised in the Deputies’ questions are the result of an updated estimate of the administrative costs attributable to each programme. The direct programme expenditure allocations remain unchanged. Changes in administrative spending allocations also take account of the additional provisions made for the exceptional once-off costs associated with the EU Presidency.
The Revised Estimates Volume, which will be published in a few weeks, will provide more detailed information on all expenditure.That volume will take account of the 2012 out-turn and will also include a number of adjustments, often technical, that are made as part of the budgetary process.
