Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. Managing the delivery of public services within allocations forms a key part of the responsibilities of every Minister and Department. My Department is in regular contact with all other Departments and offices to ensure that expenditure is being managed within the overall budgetary parameters. The drawdown of funds from the Exchequer is reported on each month against expenditure profiles in the fiscal monitor published by the Department of Finance. However, given the scale of Government expenditure, which is €61.8 billion, and the cash basis of Government accounting, the need for Supplementary Estimates can arise for a number of reasons, including policy decisions, timing issues and overspends. They are a budgetary tool that allows for the proper alignment of funding allocations within planned expenditure. They can only be allowed where they can be accommodated within the overall budgetary parameters. As set out in the most recent budgetary monitor, total gross voted expenditure at the end of September was €44.8 billion, which was broadly on profile. Net voted expenditure of €36.04 billion was €45 million below profile with net voted spending in 14 out of 17 Vote groups being below profile. As outlined in the fiscal monitor, current spending is 0.6% ahead of profile, with the main driver of this variance being health expenditure.

As outlined in Expenditure Report 2019, as a result of policy decisions, including in relation to the provision of a 100% Christmas bonus to social welfare recipients, additional capital for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and expenditure pressures in the Department of Health, the gross voted expenditure outturn for the year is now estimated at €62.8 billion. This is a change of €1 billion with the key element being the change in the Department of Health.

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