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

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.

As set out in the most recent Fiscal Monitor, total gross voted expenditure at the end of October was €49,931 million. This is broadly on profile. Gross voted current expenditure of €46,181 million was 0.6% above profile, with gross voted capital expenditure of €3,750 million 8.4% below profile.

However, given the scale of Government expenditure 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 can allow for the proper alignment of funding allocations with planned expenditure. They can only be allowed where they can be accommodated within the overall budgetary parameters. The Expenditure Report 2019 outlined the requirement for Supplementary Estimates in 2018, including for the provision of a 100% Christmas bonus for weekly social welfare recipients and additional investment in key areas including housing and health.

Taking the additional expenditure set out in our 2019 report into account, it is now projected that the general Government deficit target of 0.2% outlined in the summer economic statement will be over-achieved, with the expectation now of a general Government deficit of 0.1%.

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