Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2023
599. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the figure provided by his Department to maintain existing levels of service in 2024, under his respective remits ahead of Budget 2024; the figure granted by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51180/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA significant part of the annual budgetary process is determining the amount of funding required for Departments to carry out their existing functions. This is referred to as the ‘Existing Level of Service’ (ELS) that delivers additional investment in public services, through for example providing existing schemes to a growing number of people, and investment in the public service workforce.
The Medium Term Expenditure Strategy, agreed by Government in 2021, set out an indicative overall provision of 3 per cent of the core current base each year to maintain ELS. This is an estimated cost to aid overall fiscal planning based on trends observed in previous years rather than a set rate of increase for each Department. Each year both as part of the whole of year Budget process and the finalisation of Estimates, ELS is considered in detail in each Vote. This requires an assessment of the specific needs of the Vote including previous budget decisions, the impact of the existing public sector pay deals and any demographic or other demand impacts.
Government agreed a total Government Expenditure Ceiling of €96.6 billion for Budget 2024. Of this provision, an additional €65 million was allocated for ELS to my Department. This is a net allocation where estimated savings arising on the Vote were offset against our overall funding ask for 2024 measures. The allocation provided is to mainly fund costs arising on Apprenticeship Programmes, Higher Education additional student places, Further Education Programmes and Public sector pay awards.
The ELS submission for my Department to the Department of Public Expenditure and NDP Delivery and Reform forms part of confidential Budget 2024 negotiations with further engagement currently ongoing as part of the 2023 Supplementary Estimates and 2024 Revised Estimates (REV) stage of the annual Estimates process.
