Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Vice Chairman for allowing me to make an opening statement.

I welcome the opportunity to engage with the committee on the Estimates for my Department and to consider the mid-year expenditure position and programme metrics, where available. This process is very useful and it gives members the opportunity rattle the Minister. Leaving that aside, this is an important opportunity to scrutinise the figures before us. The OECD recommended that a mechanism of this nature be introduced. It is a very positive development rather than the situation that obtained heretofore whereby it was only at the end of the year and into the following one that these figures were examined.

I apologise that the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne, who has responsibility for community affairs, natural resources and digital development cannot be here at this point. He is currently in transit. He had to speak at an event on e-commerce in Blanchardstown earlier this morning and will join us as soon as possible. I am accompanied by Ms Finola Rossi, finance officer; Ms Rebecca Minch, principal officer in the energy efficiency and affordability division; Mr. Jim Whelan, assistant principal officer in the finance unit; Mr. Eoin Deegan, assistant principal officer in the waste policy and resources efficiency division; and Mr. Dualta Ó Broin, assistant principal officer in the broadcasting policy division.

The total provision for my Department for 2017 is €183 million for capital investment, including a capital carryover of €12.1 million from last year, and €357 million for current spending, of which €222 million represents a pass-through of TV licence receipts. By the end of June, my Department had spent €53 million of its capital allocation, or 77% of profiled expenditure of €68.5 million. On current expenditure, my Department had spent €164.3 million, or 96% of profiled expenditure of €171.7 million. Appropriations-in-aid were running at €111.7 million, or 98% of profiled receipts amounting to €113.7 million.

My Department has been progressing projects in key strategic areas during 2017. These include: the national broadband plan to ensure that all citizens and businesses have access to high-speed broadband no matter where they live or work; the trading online voucher scheme to support more small companies to trade online in order to help them grow sales, jobs and exports; the digital skills for citizens training programme to help 25,000 citizens get online for the first time and participate in the digital economy and society; the National Cyber Security Centre, which plays a key role in securing Government and critical national infrastructure and data; the residential energy efficiency improvements under the better energy schemes targeted at reducing CO2 emissions from the built environment; the energy efficiency measures in the commercial and public sectors to deliver significant energy savings, while also meeting the commitment in the programme for Government to improve the competitiveness of Irish industry; the electricity vehicle grant scheme-----