Managing the delivery of public services within budgetary allocations is a key responsibility of each Minister and their Departments, and there are important measures in place to ensure that budgetary targets are met. However, given the scale of gross voted Government expenditure c. €58.5 billion in aggregate in 2017 - and the cash basis of Government accounting, some variance from profiled expenditure is to be expected. The tables below set out the level of underspends, on a gross basis, across the relevant Ministerial Vote Groups for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. Some totals are affected by rounding. These underspends are compared to allocations in the relevant Revised Estimates Volume (REV) and, therefore, do not reflect any Supplementary Estimates. With regard to the treatment of capital carryover, the capital carryover into the following year is included in the expenditure outturns for each year.
In summary, 8 Ministerial Vote Groups reported underspends in 2015, 10 Vote Groups in 2016 and 11 Vote Groups in 2017. Underspends can occur for a number of reasons. For example, this may include changes in policy decisions or lower than expected take-up of a particular programme or service.
Where spending in a number of Departments comes in under profile, these savings can be used to offset additional expenditure in Departments that require Supplementary Estimates and thereby assist with meeting overall budgetary targets.
2015
|
REV allocation (€m)
|
Outturn (€m)
|
Variance (€m)
|
Variance (%)
|
Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
|
277
|
277
|
-1
|
-0.2%
|
Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
|
415
|
401
|
-14
|
-3.4%
|
Defence
|
898
|
898
|
0
|
0%
|
Environment, Community and Local Government
|
1,329
|
1,284
|
-45
|
-3.4%
|
Finance
|
451
|
443
|
-8
|
-1.9%
|
Foreign Affairs and Trade
|
687
|
684
|
-2
|
-0.3%
|
Public Expenditure and Reform
|
1,017
|
1,012
|
-5
|
-0.5%
|
Taoiseach
|
170
|
159
|
-11
|
-6.3%
|
2016
|
REV allocation (€m)
|
Outturn (€m)
|
Variance (€m)
|
Variance (%)
|
Agriculture, Food and the Marine
|
1,351
|
1,267
|
-84
|
-6.2%
|
Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
|
383
|
376
|
-7
|
-1.9%
|
Children and Youth Affairs
|
1,138
|
1,086
|
-52
|
-4.6%
|
Communications, Climate Action and Environment
|
466
|
437
|
-30
|
-6.4%
|
Defence
|
905
|
905
|
0
|
0%
|
Finance
|
455
|
443
|
-13
|
-2.8%
|
Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
|
1,384
|
1,370
|
-14
|
-1.0%
|
Health
|
14,109
|
14,107
|
-2
|
0%
|
Justice and Equality
|
2,458
|
2,449
|
-10
|
-0.4%
|
Public Expenditure and Reform
|
1,051
|
1,004
|
-46
|
-4.4%
|
Taoiseach
|
204
|
188
|
-17
|
-8.3%
|
2017
|
REV allocation (€m)
|
Outturn (€m)
|
Variance (€m)
|
Variance (%)
|
Agriculture, Food and the Marine
|
1,468
|
1,391
|
-78
|
-5.3%
|
Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
|
288
|
287
|
-1
|
-0.4%
|
Children and Youth Affairs
|
1,311
|
1,249
|
-62
|
-4.7%
|
Communications, Climate Action and Environment
|
528
|
498
|
-31
|
-5.8%
|
Finance
|
465
|
457
|
-7
|
-1.6%
|
Foreign Affairs and Trade
|
715
|
711
|
-4
|
-0.6%
|
Business, Enterprise and Innovation
|
857
|
852
|
-5
|
-0.5%
|
Public Expenditure and Reform
|
1,094
|
1,068
|
-26
|
-2.4%
|
Taoiseach
|
182
|
167
|
-15
|
-8.3%
|
Transport, Tourism and Sport
|
1,810
|
1,802
|
-8
|
-0.4%
|
Rural and Community Development
|
163
|
144
|
-19
|
-11.6%
|