I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 to 85, inclusive, 88, 90 and 91 together.
The Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012-2014 (CER) published by my Department on 5 December 2011 set out current expenditure ceilings for Departments for the period 2012 to 2014. The ceilings and savings measures contained in the CER were informed by the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) carried out in 2011. The ceilings published in the CER form the basis upon which the detailed 2014 expenditure allocations were decided by the Government. The Comprehensive Expenditure Report also provided for a new “whole-of-year” budgetary process, whereby the 2014 ministerial expenditure allocations would be open for scrutiny and discussion before the relevant Oireachtas Committees.
The composition of the budget allocations for 2014 in respect of each Vote were set out in the Expenditure Report 2014 published on 15 October. The Government took account of a wide range of often competing considerations and policy priorities to decide on the distribution of the resources available in order to strike a balance between bringing sustainability to the public finances while protecting to the greatest extent possible, both the economic recovery and the most vulnerable in society.
To put this into context, gross voted spending has been reduced from its peak of €63.1 billion in 2009 to €54.6 billion in 2013. This represents a reduction of approximately 13.5% between 2009 and 2013. Estimated voted expenditure for 2014 will be in the region of €52.9 billion with a targeted general Government deficit of 4.8%, a significant reduction from the underlying deficit of 11.2% at the end of 2011. The management of the respective expenditure allocations for 2014 will continue to be a matter for each Minister in accordance with overall agreed Government policy.
In relation to the troika, the Irish Government's commitment to the EU/IMF programme of financial support was clearly illustrated by our sustained strong record in implementing the agreed policy frameworks and measures while meeting all quantitative targets. The EU/IMF programme was subject to policy conditionality which was set out in programme documents - the Memorandum of Understanding on Specific Economic Policy Conditionality (MOU), the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) and the Technical Memorandum of Understanding. The conditionality in these documents was subject to continuing assessment by the Irish Authorities and the EU, IMF, ECB (the troika) to ensure the broad programme objectives were met. Such assessments were undertaken at the quarterly reviews. Each update to the programme documents included the protraction or revisions to existing commitments along with new commitments.
As I am sure the Deputy is aware, the hard policy decisions this Government has made over the last number of years has enabled us to bring our finances back to a sustainable level and just as importantly, the Government decided on 14 November that Ireland is now in the best position to exit the EU/IMF programme of financial assistance on December 15 without the need to pre-arrange a new precautionary credit line from our EU and IMF partners.