Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The budget in my Department is set out in the Revised Estimates for public services 2011. The total gross Vote provision is €475 million, comprising €336 million for current expenditure and €139 million for capital expenditure. Of the gross current provision, a sum of €222 million relates to the Vote neutral broadcasting licence fee receipts. This is money which passes through the Vote as a receipt with corresponding expenditure. When this is netted off the gross provision, the Department's 2011 budget is €253 million, made up of a €114 million current allocation and a €139 million capital allocation.

My Department's expenditure priorities in 2011 include the energy efficiency programmes amounting to €69.4 million - the bulk of expenditure in this area will be on the national energy efficiency retrofit programme; energy research programmes totalling €20.4 million, including progressing the ocean energy programme; and information and communications technology programmes totalling €43.8 million - most of this allocation is to fund broadband investment in cases of market failure.

As reflected in the allocations, the priorities in 2011 are the funding of public sector broadcasting, funding of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and investment in broadband in cases of market failure. The investment in energy efficiency will play an important role in promoting employment in the construction sector. Broadband intervention, especially through the national broadband scheme, is furthering the roll-out of broadband infrastructure, which plays a key role in underpinning economic and social development. In addition, my Department will provide some €34 million to fund TG4 and almost €29 million to fund inland fisheries in the current year.

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