Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister published a Supplementary Estimate which provides for a significant overspend arising from the need to pay a fine to Europe. According to the small print, a saving of €17 million is anticipated in the beef genomics scheme. Unless the position has radically changed, Departments take a conservative approach to Supplementary Estimates. For example, if an Estimate provides for a saving of €17 million, this will be the minimum figure and the final savings could be higher. That is the way the system works. In my experience, a Department never provided for a saving if there was a possibility that it would not be achieved. That was the procedure to be followed. Will the Minister confirm that the Department is budgeting for an underspend of €17 million, which means expenditure on the scheme will be less than €40 million and not more than €40 million, as he indicated?

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