Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2019
174. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of the Supplementary Estimates required for 2019 by Department, Vote and expenditure programme in which the additional expenditure is required; if the details of these additional Estimates is outlined in the budget documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42052/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 1.1.5,on pages 47 to 49 of Expenditure Report 2020, sets out the detail in relation to potential Supplementary Estimates for this year based on the information available at this point in time. This section of the Expenditure Report provides a reconciliation between the net voted expenditure amounts in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2019 and the White Paper - Estimates of Receipts and Expenditure, taking into account estimated Supplementary Estimates and current estimations in relation to additional appropriations-in-aid and underspends.
The main areas requiring Supplementary Estimates, as detailed in the Expenditure Report, are outlined below. In particular, substantive Supplementary Estimates will be required to deal with emerging expenditure pressures in Health, Education and Justice.
The overall estimated Supplementary Estimate requirement for Health in 2019 is €335 million. It is estimated that an additional amount of c. €50 million will be required by Education in 2019 to meet projected pay and pension costs and school transport payments. In Justice, It is estimated that an additional amount of just over €50 million will be required to provide for the estimated overrun in Asylum Seekers Accommodation and to meet the additional costs on the Garda Vote arising from the visits of President Trump and Vice-President Pence.
The policy decision to provide a 100% Christmas Bonus for long-term Social Welfare recipients has a gross cost of c. €279 million. Approximately €125 million of this amount being will be funded from voted expenditure and will necessitate a Supplementary Estimate. However, in terms of the impact on the General Government balance it is anticipated that the cost of the bonus will be fully offset by additional PRSI receipts. At the end of September, PRSI receipts were €0.3 billion ahead of the level estimated in the Revised Estimates for Public Service 2019 and, based on latest assessments, could finish the year approximately €400 million ahead of profile.
As outlined in the Expenditure Report, additional Brexit related expenditure may also give rise to the need for Supplementary Estimates and there will also be a requirement for Supplementary Estimates in certain Departments to meet some one-off costs.
In line with previous years, it can be expected that there may be a number of technical Supplementary Estimates.
Work will be ongoing over the coming weeks to finalise details in relation to all necessary substantive and technical Supplementary Estimates before their presentation to Dáil Éireann.
