Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The budget allocations for 2013 will be considered in the context of the gross expenditure ceilings allocated to all Departments for the period 2012-14 under the Government’s medium-term expenditure framework. The Government’s decision on expenditure ceilings was taken in order to strike a balance between needs and priorities in all Departments on a multi-annual basis, to meet the requirements of the overall fiscal commitments, which are firmly focused on returning the public finances to a sustainable path and to reduce the general Government deficit by the end of 2015. Budget 2013 will be framed in this framework.

The preparations for the 2013 Estimate are currently under way and all budget lines in my Department’s Vote are being examined critically as part of that process.

Under the expenditure ceilings, the funding allocation for my Department has been reduced by €114 million in 2013 compared with this year. Very difficult choices will have to be made again in order to remain within the reduced allocation.

The detail of the Deputy's question which refers to the difficulties farmers have faced this year is very much in my mind as we make these difficult choices, in order to protect farm schemes and farm income as well as we can. We had a constructive discussion with the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the difficult decisions relating to the budget and how we might be able to make savings in as fair a way as possible and continue to support farmers who are in financial difficulty because of a summer of appalling weather. I will continue to engage with the joint committee to that effect.

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