Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I did not expect the Minister to be before the committee again so soon. I will not have too many questions on finance today. I tabled a question for reply on 14 November on expenditure broken down by subhead. I keep being told that the information cannot be provided by subhead because adjustments may fall to be made between subheads and so on.

I find it strange that every other Department can tell me at any time of the year how much has been spent on a certain programme. We accept that the information may be subject to minor changes, but the figures should be available within a high level of accuracy. The replies are in the name of the Minister, who keeps forcing me to submit freedom of information requests. I know just how much Departments love those requests. Documentation must be trawled to get the figures I am looking for. I ask that the Minister reconsider this policy and give me the subhead data. I will get it one way or another. It is a waste of my time and that of the Minister to engage in freedom of information requests month after month. If the Minister thinks I am going to give up, she does not know me. I will not give up because our role in these meetings is about the money.

I have considered the spend, and accept that, on the face of it, it appears the Minister will spend everything on the current expenditure side because 80% has been spent. I am a little surprised as to why the data refers to only 94% of the profile to the end of October. One would have thought that current spending would be dealt with on a month-by-month basis and that with 80% spent the Department would hit 100% by the end of the year. Can the Minister confirm that, give or take the few hundred thousand euro which are always left over, she will spend the gross amount on the current side?