Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of unspent money returned by his Department to the Department of Finance each year since 1997; the total departmental budget for each year since 1997; the projects for which this money was originally earmarked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20437/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The amount of unspent money surrendered to the Exchequer from my Department's Vote in each of the years 1997 to 2004 and the corresponding total voted budget in each case are as follows:

These savings arose principally on demand-led schemes, such as pensions, child benefit and unemployment assistance, which account for about 95% of total voted expenditure. While my Department makes every effort to budget accurately for the schemes in question, it is not possible to do so with total precision.

A comparatively small element of my Department's voted expenditure is incurred on projects. These are largely IT-related and the funding is provided by way of the administrative budget agreement with the Department of Finance. Under the terms of that agreement unspent funding at the end of any year may be carried forward to the following year subject to certain conditions.