Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh. The appropriation account for Vote 26 Education records gross expenditure of just under €10.2 billion in 2022. This represented almost a 10% increase in spending year on year. The largest element of spending in 2022 was for the pay and pensions of current and former teachers and other school staff, amounting to €7.8 billion. Payments related to the provision of school buildings and extensions and other educational infrastructure totalled €1.1 billion in 2022. This included €64 million in payments relating to public private partnership provision of schools. Grants payable to primary and post-primary schools, education and training boards and other educational organisations and institutes amounted to more than €767 million in 2022. Expenditure on school transport totalled just under €339 million. The Department’s administration costs were slightly more than €120 million in 2022.

On the receipts side, appropriations-in-aid amounted to €409 million in 2022. The majority of these receipts are pension-related contributions deducted from the salaries of current education sector employees.

The net expenditure outturn for 2022 was €9.767 billion, leaving a surplus to be surrendered from Vote 26 of just under €49 million. I issued a clear audit opinion for the appropriation account for 2022. I also drew attention to the disclosure made by the Accounting Officer in the statement on internal financial control in respect of material instances of non-compliance with procurement rules that occurred in 2022.