Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2013
298. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total amount of capital spending incurred directly across all Departments as a results of measures undertaken as part of the 2011 Jobs Initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40934/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe capital expenditure measures contained in the 2011 Jobs Initiative formed only part of a much wider set of measures included in the Initiative which were aimed at generating employment and kick-starting economic activity. The aim of the capital measures was to accelerate capital works that are shovel ready, have a local focus and are labour intensive. Schools, secondary roads works and retrofitting were identified as being the most appropriate for such purposes, while also representing areas where investment has broader benefits to society and the economy. Under the 2011 Jobs Initiative, an additional €40 million was provided for labour intensive school works with €30m of this profiled and spent in 2011. At the end of December 2012, €39.3m had been spent with the balance of €0.7m due to issue in 2013.
The Jobs Initiative also provided for an additional €60 million to be reallocated from within the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport's overall allocation to invest in our regional and local roads to carry out much-needed surface restoration and road reconstruction works. A further €15m was allocated to smarter travel and traffic management schemes around the country. Of this, €5m was allocated to the National Transport Authority for the Regional Cities programme. I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, that €69.2 million has been spent by his Department under the Jobs Initiative to date. As the NTA administers the Regional Cities programme on behalf of the Department of Transport, queries in relation to spend under that programme should be directed to the NTA.
An additional €19 million in Exchequer funding was allocated to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, for the national energy retrofitting programme, to be supplemented by €11 million savings from that Department’s allocation. This doubled the funding for the Retrofit home energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes in the second half of 2011. This allocation has also been spent in full.
