Capital Expenditure Programme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 May 2016

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Ceisteanna (114)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

114. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 202 of 17 May 2016 and his reference to Government investment in gross fixed capital formation, GFCF, if he can average all investment in capital over a four year period or just an amount based on the annual general Government GFCF outturn as produced by the Central Statistics Office; and if so, the maximum amount available to be averaged based on this outturn for each of the years 2017 to 2021. [11602/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Finance

As detailed in Parliamentary Question (PQ) Number 202 (of 17/05/2016), under the expenditure benchmark, only investment in Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), based on the annual general government GFCF out-turn as produced by the Central Statistics Office, is permitted to be averaged over a four year period by the European Commission. Capital expenditure not defined as GFCF is not subject to this treatment and cannot be averaged in the same manner as GFCF.

There will be a mid-term review of the Capital Programme in 2017 by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It is in this context that the allocation of additional exchequer capital expenditure will be determined. Until the specific allocations are determined it will not be possible to quantify the amount available to be averaged.