Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

Obviously there needs to be greater accountability in relation to budgetary overruns. In certain instances, budgetary overruns can be accounted for through inflation, unplanned expenditure or events that evolve. I mention as an example what we are doing here today in relation to the Vote for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme, which is a demand-led scheme. When a Department starts out at the beginning of the year, sometimes its projected costs are based on the outturn from previous years. When the demand for a demand-led scheme increases, it results in what is perceived to be a budget overrun. In this instance, there is a budget overrun of €919,000. Would anyone say that we should not actually meet increased demand for demand-led schemes? Should we apologise to those who are eligible to apply for the fuel grant under the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme and say to them that we have set a ceiling, that there is no way we can pay out any more, and that they can wait until the new year? Sometimes there is a real reason for a budget overrun. Everybody starts out with the best will in the world to try to contain any budget overruns. Some of them are inexcusable. Deputy Doherty made a point about the OPW’s expenditure in certain instances. I do not think anyone could say that was value for money. In other instances, such as what we are here to discuss today - a technical Supplementary Estimate under Vote 7, disabled drivers - I do not think the Deputy is advocating that we turn around and say that we have set a budget for 2025 - €11 million, in this case - and we are not going to be able to pay out these legitimate claims until next year. That is the reason for the budget overrun here. Sometimes budget overruns can be justified, and sometimes they are not justified.