Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Transport the potential and planned spending cuts across his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29661/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Planned expenditure levels for my Department will be considered as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010. This will include consideration of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes.

It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage pending the outcome of these deliberative processes.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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That is a poor response. The former Minister for Transport, Deputy Mary O'Rourke, spoke about the an bord snip nua report this morning and said it should be in the public domain. The Minister has been in consultation with an bord snip nua. The Minister should put on record the plans he put before the board.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that we did not make any proposals. We were asked questions about the various programmes. We gave an outline of those programmes and it is up to Mr. McCarthy to make up his mind and make his decision on what he feels might or might not be cut to ensure the levels of expenditure generally across Government are reduced. The Deputy will be aware that we are talking in terms of an adjustment in the coming budget of €4 billion in total between tax and revenues. I am sure some elements of that will fall on the Department of Transport but until the deliberative process is finished I am not at liberty to say anything further.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The Minister has not given me any facts. Did the Minister distinguish, in the discussion with an bord snip nua, between capital and current projects? Did he distinguish between national priorities in terms of transport infrastructure? The key point that he and his Department should have made, if they did not make it, is that it was never cheaper to build infrastructure projects than it is now and that, on average, they are coming in 20% less than what was the case in the previous year, and may be even less again next year. The process sounds like a confession box in which no confession was made. The an bord snip nua man was there, the Minister was on his knees but he said nothing. It is clear he said nothing and therefore the axe may fall universally on his Department rather than on where the waste is located. What proposals, if any, does the Minister have in terms of current expenditure cutbacks or efficiencies?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy seems to be under some misapprehension as to the process in regard to an bord snip nua. I did not talk to an bord snip nua. I had no contact with it. I was not asked to have any contact with it. An bord snip nua can make whatever recommendations it likes but at the end of the day I will outline my priorities and those of the Government. If programmes are suggested for cuts, whether capital or current, I will make a judgment on that and make my views known at that time.