Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire. Táim thar a bheith sásta gur é féin atá anseo leis an cheist seo a fhreagairt. Tá gach duine ag faire na bpinginí maidir le cúrsaí buiséid agus mar sin de, agus ní haon iontas an tAire ina measc. Táim cinnte go bhfuil sin á dhéanamh aige. I welcome the Minister to the House. I appreciate that as the senior Minister in the Department he has come to the House to reply to my matter on the Adjournment which relates to the overall departmental budget. My questions are straightforward. At this stage of the year, how much of his Department's budget has been spent? Is the Department running a deficit or a surplus? What measures does the Minister intend to take to deal with that deficit or surplus? My questions are in the context of the overall comprehensive review of expenditure. I am aware the Department needed to make savings of ¤6 million this year and that the indicative savings for 2013 will mean a need to slice another ¤10 million, with savings of ¤12 million in 2014. Many groups and organisations are looking for support from the Department from the arts, heritage, cultural and language areas and under headings such as North-South co-operation.

My area of expertise is in the arts, Gaeltacht and Irish language areas. Organisations such as Údarás na Gaeltachta have suffered funding cuts under the previous Government. Capital funding of ¤25 million a number of years ago has decreased to ¤6 million. Capital funding is used to create employment in Gaeltacht areas. Many of these organisations are strapped for cash. I know the Minister intends that all the cash available to him will be made available as funding. He indicated at a number of recent meetings about the Aran Islands air service that cuts in the departmental budget of 6% and 10% will be made next year. We need to have information from the Minister as to the state of his Department's budget for 2012. What are his plans to ensure that any remaining moneys are spent before the end of the year?

What are the Minister's plans to ensure that happens or if he has overspent in any particular areas, how does he intend to compensate for that to ensure compliance with budgetary targets. Bheinn an-buíoch freagra a fháil ar seo agus táim thar a bheith buíoch don Aire as bheith linn.