The Taoiseach:

A Chathaoirligh agus a chomhaltaí an chomhchoiste, gabhaim buíochas libh as an deis seo chun teacht os comhair an roghchoiste agus sibh ag déanamh machnamh ar Mheastacháin 2025 do ghrúpa Vótaí Roinn an Taoisigh. Tá sé Vóta i ngrúpa Vótaí Roinn an Taoisigh, is iad sin: Vóta 1 - Arás an Uachtaráin; Vóta 2 – Roinn an Taoisigh; Vóta 3 – Oifig an Ard-Aighne; Vóta 4 – Príomh-Oifig Staidrimh; Vóta 5 – Oifig an Stiúrthóra Ionchúiseamh Poiblí; agus Vóta 6 – Oifig Phríomh-Aturnae an Stáit. Soláthraíodh doiciméad faisnéise le haghaidh gach ceann de na Vótaí seo don choiste roimh an gcruinniú seo. Cé go bhfuil freagrachtaí ar leith orm don Oireachtas mar gheall ar chúrsaí riaracháin i gcuid de na hoifigí seo, oibríonn siad go neamhspleách ó Roinn an Taoisigh.

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the select committee as it considers the 2025 Estimates for the Vote group of the Department of the Taoiseach. I have already outlined as Gaeilge the six Votes that make up the Department of the Taoiseach. A briefing document for each of these Votes has been supplied to the committee in advance of this meeting. While I have certain responsibilities to the Oireachtas for administrative matters in some of these offices, they operate independently of the Department of the Taoiseach.

The gross funding allocation sought for the Vote group for 2025 totals just over €292 million, an increase of 7% on 2024. I will now give a brief overview of the 2025 funding allocations for each individual Vote.

In respect of Vote 1 - President's Establishment, the purpose of the Vote allocation for this Vote is to support the President’s Establishment to deliver its high level goal to provide high quality, timely support services to the President in the execution of his constitutional, legal and representational duties and responsibilities and to provide for payment of the centenarians’ bounty in a timely and expeditious manner. The 2025 gross Estimate for the President’s Establishment is €5.5 million; an increase of 4% on 2024. The increase in this Vote reflects the increase in administrative subheads for pay and operating expenses.

In respect of Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach, the purpose of the Vote allocation is to support the Department to deliver its high level goals of helping the Taoiseach and the Government to ensure a sustainable economy and a successful society, pursuing Ireland’s interests abroad, implementing the Government’s programme and building a better future for Ireland and all her citizens. The 2025 gross Estimate for the Department of the Taoiseach is €38.2 million, a decrease of €581,000 compared with 2024. A total of 67%, or €25.42 million, of the Vote allocation relates to salaries, wages and allowances. Administration costs for the Department account for 16%. The remaining 17% provides non-pay funding for the National Economic and Social Development Office, the COVID-19 evaluation, Citizens' Assembly and a number of independent inquiries.

On Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General, the purpose of the Vote allocation is to support the Office of the Attorney General to deliver its high level goal of providing the highest standard of professional legal services to Government, Departments and offices as economically and efficiently as possible and to support adherence to the rule of law. The 2025 gross Estimate for the Office of the Attorney General is €26.3 million, an increase of 6% on 2024. A sum of €3.35 million of the Office of the Attorney General’s 2025 Estimate is allocated to the Law Reform Commission, an increase of 10% on 2024. A total of 78%, €20.36 million, of the Office of the Attorney General’s Vote allocation relates to salaries, wages and allowances. The 2025 provision for pay is €20.362 million, an increase of 13% on 2024. This reflects the increase in costs for current staff in addition to the need to increase staff numbers, which is required to support the timely implementation of the programme for Government. This increase is partially offset by savings in non-pay expenditure.

On Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office, the purpose of the Vote allocation is to support the office to deliver its high level goal to describe Ireland, its people, economy, society and environment through verifiable data and accurate information while providing impartial insight. The 2025 gross Estimate for the CSO is €94.8 million, an increase of 14% on 2024. A total of 76%, which is €72 million, of the CSO’s Vote is pay related, with the remaining 24% split across the non-pay subheads. The 2025 gross Estimate includes €1.2 million national recovery and resilience plan funding for the provision of an online census platform.

On Vote 5 - Office of the Director for Public Prosecutions, the purpose of the Vote allocation is to support the office to deliver its high level goal to provide, on behalf of the people of Ireland, a prosecution service which is independent, fair and effective.

The 2025 gross Estimate for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is €73.1 million, an increase of 9% on 2024. The 9% increase on 2024 is principally made up of an increase of €3.96 million in pay, an increase of €1.08 million in fees to counsel and an increase of €800,000 in the local State solicitor service. This increased funding allocation will provide for the additional staff required to deal with the increase in the volume and complexity of file activity levels in recent years. It will also allow for the development of the prosecution service in key areas such as financial crime and sexual offences in addition to the core legal work of the office, including a significant increase in court sittings in the Central Criminal Court and Circuit Courts in particular.

On Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor, the purpose of this Vote allocation is to support the office in delivering its high level goal to provide the highest standard of professional legal services to Government Departments and offices as economically and efficiently as possible and to support adherence to the rule of law. The 2025 gross Estimate for the Office of the Chief State Solicitor is €54.5 million, an increase of 2% on 2024. This increase in funding is primarily attributable to funding higher staff and operational costs at the office.

I welcome the opportunity to engage further with the committee on the 2025 Revised Estimates for the Vote group of the Department of the Taoiseach. I will endeavour to provide any further information required. Given the breadth of the Vote group in terms of activities, functions and responsibilities and the independent status of a number of the offices in the group, I may not be able to provide all information requested by members in the room today. If that proves to be the case, I will revert to the Chair in writing as soon as possible thereafter with the relevant information. I thank the members for their attention and commend the 2025 Revised Estimates for Votes 1 to 6 to the committee.