Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the Exchequer returns for the first four months of 2006. [19283/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the monthly Exchequer Returns are available on my Department's website, as are my Department's receipts, expenditure and debt service profiles for 2006.

The results for the first four months of 2006 confirm that the public finances remain sound. The Exchequer Returns to end-April showed a surplus of €497 million, compared with a deficit of €1,221 million for the same period last year and a Budget Day forecast of an Exchequer Deficit of €2,927 million for 2006 as a whole.

Tax receipts to end-April, at €12,802 million were up 16.2 per cent on the same period last year and were €418 million or 3.4 per cent ahead of profile. The main excesses over profile were on Capital Gains Tax (€173m), Corporation Tax (€145m) and Stamp Duty (€140m) while VAT and Income Tax were €96 million and €37 million below profile respectively.

Overall issues for net voted expenditure for April 2006 were up €628 million or 6.0 per cent as compared to April 2005. Net voted expenditure at end-April was €242 million or 2.1 per cent below the published profiles; capital, €87 million below and current, €155 million below.