Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and the committee for inviting me this afternoon and I welcome the opportunity to meet the committee to consider the mid-term expenditure position and performance across the six Vote programmes within my Department. I will keep my opening statement brief to allow the committee sufficient time to examine the programme expenditure to the outturn at the end of June. I am joined by Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, who has responsibility for community affairs, natural resources and digital development.

I am also joined by Finola Rossi, our finance officer, Jim Whelan from our finance unit, Ciara Kennedy the national broadband plan division, Ben King from the Eircode division, Triona Quill from the broadcasting policy division, Eileen O’Connor from the energy efficiency and affordability division and Eileen Doyle from the mining division.

The total provision for my Department for 2018 is €587 million, comprising €215 million for capital investment - including a €6 million carryover from last year - and €372 million for current spending, of which €222 million, or approximately 60%, represents a pass-through in TV licence receipts. By the end of June, my Department had spent €62.4 million of its capital allocation, representing 90% of the profiled expenditure. On current expenditure, my Department has spent €172.9 million, representing 96% of profiled expenditure. Appropriations-in-aid are running at €110.2 million, representing 96% of profiled receipts.

This year my Department continues to progress projects in areas of national strategic importance, including: the national broadband plan, in line with the Government’s ambition that opportunities presented by digital transformation will be available to every community and every premises in Ireland; the trading online voucher scheme to support more small companies to trade online and to help them increase sales, jobs and exports; the digital skills for citizens training programme, to help some 25,000 citizens to get online for the first time and participate in the digital economy and society; continued investment in energy efficiency in our residential, public and commercial building stock and homes of those in energy poverty to drive the reduction of CO2 emissions from the built environment; the electric vehicle grant scheme aimed at decarbonising transport; the integrated mapping for the sustainable development of Ireland's marine resource programme, INFOMAR, and Tellus geo-environmental mapping projects; protecting our natural environment and promoting the transition to a resource-efficient circular economy; and progressing the climate action agenda and Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon economy.