Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister might be able to help me as this is the third time I have asked this question. If he does not have the answer, perhaps he can send it on. We are talking about current versus capital expenditure concerning the amendment. The recent stimulus package was very current when we discussed it on Committee Stage because the Minister had just announced it. Does the Minister or the Department know how much of that €150 million is current expenditure versus capital expenditure? I would expect that the part for new schools in the Department of Education and Skills is capital expenditure. That is agreed but I do not know if the bit for roads is capital or current expenditure. The Minister might be able to give me a straight reply as to whether it is current or capital expenditure. The other bit was for insulating local authority houses, but is that considered maintenance or refurbishment? Will it be considered in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government's Estimates as a current or capital item? I am not quite sure and felt it could be either, so that is why I am asking.

I tabled this amendment because I felt it would be helpful to Opposition spokespersons to know what was capital expenditure and what was current expenditure. As an Opposition spokesperson, I would like to know how these matters are accounted for, whether a supplementary Estimate is being met from current or capital expenditure or whether that is still open for debate. The essence of my previous amendment was this should not be open for debate but should be one or the other.

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