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Public Expenditure Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 April 2019

Thursday, 18 April 2019

Ceisteanna (94, 96, 97, 98)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

94. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he continues to remain in contact with each Department to ensure supervision in respect of public expenditure and reform with a view to ensuring the best outcome for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18267/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

96. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he has identified possible overspending or non-compliance with reforms throughout various Departments or their subsidiary bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18269/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

97. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the various mechanisms available to his Department to adequately monitor public expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18270/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

98. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans for reforms to ensure the ability of his Department in determining potential over-expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18271/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 96 to 98, inclusive, together.

Managing expenditure within the overall fiscal parameters has been a key factor in ensuring that our fiscal targets have been achieved. A key responsibility of each Minister and Department is delivering public services efficiently and effectively within their budgetary allocations. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is in regular contact with all other Departments and Offices to ensure that expenditure is being managed in line with not only Departmental allocations but also within the overall fiscal parameters. Each month, the drawdown of funds from the Exchequer is reported on against published expenditure profiles in the Fiscal Monitor, published by the Department of Finance.

As set out in the most recent Fiscal Monitor, published by the Department of Finance, total gross voted expenditure at end-March 2019 was €15,039 million. This is €343 million, or 2.2% below profile. Gross voted current expenditure of €14,167 million, is €245 million, or 1.7% below profile. Of the 17 Ministerial Vote groups, 14 are below profile on current expenditure for end-March. Gross voted capital expenditure of €872 million, is €98 million, or 10.1% below profile.

Given the scale of Government expenditure, €66.6 billion in aggregate for gross voted expenditure in the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) 2019, and the cash basis of Government accounting, the need for Supplementary Estimates can arise for a number of reasons, including policy decisions, timing issues, and overspends. At this early stage of the year, the key requirement for all Departments is to have credible plans to manage within the allocations voted by Dáil Éireann last week.

To assist in this process, a range of reforms have been put in place over the last number of years with the aim of focusing attention on achieving value for money. For example, the Performance Budgeting initiative seeks to shift focus away from simply looking at the quantum of spend towards examining what is being delivered through public expenditure. As part of this initiative, the third Public Service Performance Report will be published in the coming weeks and will provide outturn performance information for 2018 as well as trend data for the previous two years.

My Department is also currently in year three of the Spending Review process. The Spending Review aims to place evidence at the centre of policy development, through the examination of existing policies and programmes to assess their efficiency and effectiveness. This systematic examination of existing expenditure can support the re-allocation of funding to meet expenditure priorities.

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