David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the nature of the standard or routine reports relating to the expenditure on benefits that are produced by the accounting systems of his Department each month; the reports produced by or derived from these systems which are brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13765/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 161: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amounts under each benefits heading in the appendix in his Department's Vote for 2005 (details supplied), together with the amounts expended under each such heading to 31 March 2005 or such other date as he can conveniently provide; the amounts his Department had estimated at the beginning of 2005 which have been spent to such date under each benefits heading; the reason for the variances under each heading; his forecast of whether, for each benefit heading, the amounts estimated are likely to be exceeded or underspent for the full 2005 year in view of the experience gained in the year to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13767/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amounts under each subhead in his Department's Vote for 2005, together with the amounts expended under each such subhead to 31 March 2005 or such other date as he can conveniently provide; the amounts his Department had estimated at the beginning of 2005 would have been spent to such date under each subhead; the reason for the variances under each subhead; his forecast of whether, for each subhead, the amounts estimated are likely to be exceeded or underspent for the full 2005 year in view of the experience gained in the year to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13768/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 159, 161 and 162 together.

In accordance with Government policy in regard to control and management of expenditure, I submit expenditure management reports to Government every second month outlining expenditure incurred in the year to date and projected end-year position for both my Department's Vote 38 and the social insurance fund, SIF. My Department submits reports each month to the Department of Finance comprising income and expenditure tables and qualitative assessments as to likely end-year outturns, for both Vote 38 and the SIF. The amounts drawn from the Exchequer in respect of Vote 38 are also specified. In addition, my Department carries out a detailed review on a quarterly basis of administrative expenditure with a view to monitoring any deviations and initiating any necessary corrective action.

A finance committee, comprising representatives of senior management, assesses the expenditure position based on the monthly expenditure and other reports and any concerns arising from this are brought to my attention. The estimates and expenditure information requested by the Deputy in regard to each subhead of my Department's Vote and each benefit heading in the SIF appendix is set out in the attached tabular statements. The statements show the position as at the end of February. Full expenditure returns for the month of March are not yet available.

The expenditure variances at the end of February are within the margin of error inherent in the monthly budgeting, or profiling, process. They are attributed to a combination of factors, including the timing of encashment of orders and drafts at post offices, which cannot be predicted accurately. In this regard, payments at post offices account for about 60% of the Department's programme expenditure. Additionally, timing differences as between profile assumptions and actual payments arise from time to time, particularly in regard to administration expenditure.

My Department is not, at this stage, forecasting any end year variances on Vote 38 or SIF expenditure. It is too early in the year to confidently predict outturns on what are very sizeable allocations driven almost entirely by demand led schemes.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amounts expended in each of the past ten years on software packages, consultancy services and hardware, including maintenance charges, to manage the accounts of his Department; the number of officials engaged in preparing, managing and analysing the accounts centrally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13766/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The amounts expended specifically on software packages, consultancy services and hardware, including maintenance charges, to manage my Department's accounts, are only available in respect of the years from 1998 inclusive. The total amounts in each of these years are as follows: 1998 —€33,164; 1999 —€49,419; 2000 —€82,700; 2001 —€245,454; 2002 —€369,831; 2003 —€202,609; 2004 —€106,370. The increased costs in 2001 and subsequent years were due to necessary upgrades of the financial management system which required new hardware and consultancy services.

My Department's accounting system requirements necessarily reflect the substantial scale and complexity of its business. Underlying an expected expenditure of more than €12.2 billion in 2005 are almost one million individual payments each week as well as half a million monthly payments each month. These are made through a range of different payment instruments. The Department's voted funds and the social insurance fund must be separately accounted for with details of each of the schemes involved. Detailed accounting for all administrative expenditure is also necessary, including that related to about 4,800 staff.

The accounts are prepared and managed by the accounts branch of my Department, which comprises 83 staff. Reports extracted from the accounts are regularly analysed by various officials across the Department for budgetary and wider management purposes.