Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move the following Revised Estimates:

Vote 1 — President’s Establishment (Revised Estimate).

That a sum not exceeding €3,444,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Secretary General to the President, for certain other expenses of the President’s Establishment and for certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €27,022,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Department of the Taoiseach, including certain services administered by the Department and for payment of grants.

That a sum not exceeding €15,030,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Attorney General, including a grant.

That a sum not exceeding €52,836,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Central Statistics Office.

That a sum not exceeding €37,834,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

That a sum not exceeding €26,966,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.

That a sum not exceeding €30,617,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Finance, including the Paymaster-General’s Office, for certain services administered by the Office of the Minister and for payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €6,682,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

That a sum not exceeding €329,481,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, including certain other services administered by that Office.

That a sum not exceeding €775,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Appeal Commissioners.

That a sum not exceeding €40,610,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, for certain services administered by the Office of the Minister and for payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €370,000,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for pensions, superannuation, occupational injuries, and additional and other allowances and gratuities under the Superannuation Acts 1834 to 2004 and sundry other statutes; extra-statutory pensions, allowances and gratuities awarded by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, fees to medical referees and occasional fees to doctors; compensation and other payments in respect of personal injuries; fees to Pensions Board; miscellaneous payments, etc.

That a sum not exceeding €369,848,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Public Works; for services administered by that Office including the National That a sum not exceeding €369,848,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Public Works; for services administered by that Office including the National Procurement Service, for payment of certain grants and for the recoupment of certain expenditure.

That a sum not exceeding €8,049,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the State Laboratory.

That a sum not exceeding €1,000,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for Secret Service.

That a sum not exceeding €9,145,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Valuation Office and certain minor services.

Vote 17 — Public Appointments Service (Revised Estimate).

That a sum not exceeding €8,204,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Public Appointments Service.

Vote 18 — Shared Services (Revised Estimate).

That a sum not exceeding €39,033,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of Shared Services and that a sum not exceeding €998,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €8,738,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Commission for Public Service Appointments, the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Office of the Information Commissioner and the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information.

That a sum not exceeding €1,348,273,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Garda Síochána, including pensions, etc.; for the payment of certain witnesses’ expenses, and for payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €310,243,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Prison Service, and other expenses in connection with prisons, including places of detention; for probation services; and for payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €60,150,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for such of the salaries and expenses of the Courts Service and of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Special Criminal Court, the Circuit Court and the District Court and of certain other minor services as are not charged to the Central Fund.

That a sum not exceeding €30,311,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Property Registration Authority.

That a sum not exceeding €311,126,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Probation Service staff and of certain other services including payments under cash limited schemes administered by that Office, and payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €6,190,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and for payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €8,012,125,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education and Skills, for certain services administered by that Office, and for the payments of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €475,473,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for certain Official Development Assistance, including certain grants and for contributions to certain International Organisations involved in Development Assistance and for salaries and expenses in connection therewith.

That a sum not exceeding €164,958,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and for certain services administered by that Office, including grants and contributions to International Organisations.

That a sum not exceeding €173,133,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain grants, and for the payment of certain grants under cash-limited schemes, and that a sum not exceeding €4,600,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €772,579,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, including certain services administered by that Office, and of the Irish Land Commission and for payment of certain grants, subsidies and sundry grants and for the payment of certain grants under cash-limited schemes and the remediation of Haulbowline Island, and that a sum not exceeding €18,000,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €1,215,932,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, including certain services administered by that Office, for payment of certain grants and certain other services, and that a sum not exceeding €29,105,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €740,412,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, including certain services administered by that Office, for the payment of certain subsidies and grants and for the payment of certain grants under cash-limited schemes, and that a sum not exceeding €20,000,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €272,829,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain subsidies and grants, and that a sum not exceeding €6,216,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €1,281,399,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, including grants to Local Authorities, grants and other expenses in connection with housing, water services, miscellaneous schemes, subsidies and grants.

That a sum not exceeding €215,590,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for retired pay, pensions, compensation, allowances and gratuities payable under sundry statutes to or in respect of members of the Defence Forces and certain other Military Organisations, etc., and for sundry contributions and expenses in connection therewith; for certain extra-statutory children’s allowances and other payments and for sundry grants.

That a sum not exceeding €639,404,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Defence, including certain services administered by that Office; for the pay and expenses of the Defence Forces; and for payment of certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €11,068,263,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Social Protection, for certain services administered by that Office, for payments to the Social Insurance Fund and for certain grants.

That a sum not exceeding €12,221,200,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Health and certain other services administered by that Office, including grants to the Health Service Executive and miscellaneous grants.

That a sum not exceeding €18,974,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Government Procurement, and that a sum not exceeding €125,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.

That a sum not exceeding €1,000,011,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2015, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, for certain services administered by that Office and for the payment of grants including certain grants under cash-limited schemes.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to present the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2015, which have been considered in great deal by the relevant select committee over the past number of weeks. In line with the revised budgetary timetable introduced as part of the Two Pack, the Revised Estimates were published on 18 December 2014 and this has allowed for much earlier consideration of them by Members than has been the practice during my time in the House. The revised Book of Estimates for 2015 sets out gross voted expenditure amounting to €53.2 billion. In addition, the book sets out the performance targets and outputs for all Departments for the coming year, which will allow for greater oversight and accountability to ensure public resources are having the desired impact. This is a new innovation to ensure we are not simply considering the money allocated but also what we expect the outcome of those allocations to be.

I will outline the economic and fiscal background against which the Revised Estimates were drafted. The recovery in the economy has firmly taken hold and we expect that the momentum generated last year will continue this year. While the Central Statistics Office will publish the quarterly national accounts for the fourth quarter of 2014 over the coming weeks, in the period to the end of September 2014 our economy grew by 5% in real terms compared to the same period in 2013. This means that Ireland became Europe's fastest growing economy last year and our latest economic forecasts suggest that we will continue to grow strongly in 2015.

As economic recovery continues to broaden, the labour market has made substantial progress in regaining the devastating employment losses following the economy's collapse in 2008. Unemployment, having peaked at more than 15% in 2012, has been reduced to just over 10% as of February 2015. There is every expectation that if it has not reached single digits, it will do so early this year. The number of people signing on the live register, having peaking at more than 470,000 in 2011, fell by a further 40,000 last year to stand at 360,000. As a clear sign that the Government's prioritisation of job creation is paying dividends, an additional 30,000 jobs were created in 2014, an increase of 1.5% over the previous year. Overall, employment has increased every year since 2012 with the result that almost 115,000 new jobs have been created in the economy since then. However, while we recognise that the Government has made significant progress in returning the unemployed to work, joblessness in Ireland remains too high and our efforts will focus on lowering it further over the short and medium term.

The improved economic outlook has of course had a favourable impact on the Government's fiscal position. Tax revenues increased by €3.5 billion in year-on-year terms, and came in €1.2 billion above the target set for last year. The increases seen in income tax, which increased by €1.4 billion from 2013 levels, and VAT, which increased by over €800 million, were particularly encouraging. This afforded the Government a degree of fiscal space to accommodate increased demand and bring forward a number of vital infrastructure and capital investment projects, while meeting the demanding fiscal targets it had set in budget 2014.

After successive years of expenditure reductions and tax increases, budget 2015 represents the first time that the Government has been able to ease the burden of fiscal adjustment since the crisis began. The Government has approved modest increases in aggregate expenditure and reduced taxes for the first time in seven years. The fiscal target we have set for this year is a general Government deficit of 2.7% which, when achieved, will ensure Ireland's exit from the excessive deficit procedure. Fiscal policy from 2016 onwards will operate within the strictures set out under the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact.

I can confirm that the expenditure allocations set out for 2015 represent a significant milestone for fiscal policy in Ireland, as we have moved away from a period of successive annual expenditure reductions. Our broader economic policies are clearly working as the labour market continues its recovery and more and more people are finding work. We will redouble our efforts in this area to ensure the objective of providing jobs for all our citizens is achieved. While we can be satisfied that progress has been made, real challenges remain. I refer not least to Ireland's continued need to reduce the deficit and the public sector debt. This means we cannot lose our focus on the need to continue to develop and implement sustainable and well-formulated fiscal policies over the coming years.

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