Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, together.

At the end of April, a further Revised Estimate for my Department was voted through the House. This further Revised Estimate reduced my Department's 2018 net budget allocation by €2.5 million, from €35.89 million to €33.39 million. My Department's original Revised Estimate showed a net reduction of 2% on 2017. This further Revised Estimate brings the total reduction to 9%, or €3.3 million year on year. The budget reduction followed the decision by the Government to wind down the Strategic Communications Unit on foot of a comprehensive review of the operation of the unit, which was completed by the Secretary General to the Government.

The primary role of my Department is to support me in my executive functions as Taoiseach, to support the Government and to oversee implementation of the programme for Government. It also supports the four Ministers of State assigned to the Department: the Government Chief Whip; the Minister of State with responsibility for defence; the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs; and the Minister of State with responsibility for data protection, who is also assigned to a number of other Departments.

An important part of my Department’s work is providing a secretariat for meetings of the Government and of Cabinet committees. The scope of the committees encompasses the Government’s national priorities and the challenges Ireland faces in the coming years. Cabinet committees A and D address issues relating to economic policy, infrastructure, regional and rural affairs and climate action priorities. These committees provide a focus for advancing Project Ireland 2040 that will sustain and enhance economic growth. The work of Cabinet committee B - social policy and public services - and Cabinet committee E - health - deal with social policy, particularly in the areas of education and health, as well as the public service reform programme. Cabinet committee C deals with EU matters, including playing a significant role in ensuring a co-ordinated approach to all issues arising from the UK decision to leave the European Union. Cabinet committees F and G deal with the issues of national security, justice and equality, including providing a focus for a significant programme of reform for policing in Ireland.

My Department also has a number of other responsibilities, such as State protocol, including commemorations; constitutional issues; relations with the Office of the President; relations with the Oireachtas; the Government Information Service; the National Economic and Social Council; the Creative Ireland programme; the Citizens' Assembly; and the Dublin North East Inner City initiative. In addition, my Department funds a number of inquiries from its Vote, including the Moriarty tribunal, the Cregan commission and the Cooke commission.

My Department's 2018 budget is divided between administration and programme expenditure. The 2018 administration budget for my Department amounts to €22.39 million and is broken down as follows:

Pay	€15.1 million
Travel and Subsistence	€730,000
Training and Development and Incidental Expenses	€4.46 million
Postal and Telecommunications	€360,000
Office Equipment and External IT Services	€1.41 million
Office Premises Expenses	€316,000
Consultancy Services and Value for Money Policy Reviews	€18,000

The 2018 programme budget for my Department amounts to €11.87 million and is broken down as follows:

National Economic and Social Council	€2.05 million
Tribunals of Inquiry	€4.5 million
Commissions of Investigation	€4.7 million
Citizens' Assembly	€609,000

My Department has also budgeted for appropriations-in-aid of €872,000 in 2018.

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