Dáil debates

Wednesday, 20 January 2010

11:00 am

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, together.

The total allocation for my Department in the Estimates set out in the budget book for 2010 is €28.818 million. This is an overall decrease of 11.8%, or €3.868 million, on the 2009 revised estimate allocation.

The estimate for 2010 contains a number of significant changes to the Vote of the Department of the Taoiseach. Of the nine programme subheads in the estimate for 2009, six have been discontinued for 2010. These are the McCracken tribunal, the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, the National Forum on Europe, the Newfoundland and Labrador Business Partnerships, the MacEntee Commission of Investigation and the Active Citizenship Office. In several cases, the activities funded under these subheads have come to a natural conclusion. In other cases, the Government decided to cease the relevant activities or to continue to support them from within the existing resources of my Department. Of the remaining programme subheads, there has been a reduction of 24% in the funding allocated to the National Economic and Social Development Office, and of 41% in the allocation for commemoration initiatives. The allocation for the Moriarty tribunal, at €7.5 million, is unchanged.

On the administrative budget, the overall reduction in the estimate for 2010 is 5%. The administration subheads will be further adjusted in the revised estimate when the effect of the budget reductions in pay is applied. The reductions in public service pay announced by the Minister for Finance in the 2010 budget will naturally apply to all staff in my Department and in the National Economic and Social Development Office. As a result the overall payroll cost for my Department and the National Economic and Social Development Office will reduce by approximately €957,000, representing an average wage reduction of 6.5% for the total number of 233 staff involved. The budget did not contain any provisions in regard to staff numbers for my Department or its agencies and I do not expect any changes in existing service levels to occur.

I look forward to addressing specific issues relating to the Estimates provisions when they are considered in the usual way by the Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service. I also look forward to responding to questions which Deputies may wish to table separately on specific aspects of the work of my Department. It is envisaged that the Revised Estimates for 2010 will be published in February 2010.

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