Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the Exchequer returns for the first five months of 2006. [24965/06]

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 five months of 2006 confirm that the public finances remain sound. The Exchequer Returns to end-May showed a surplus of €1,841 million, compared with a deficit of €143 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-May, at €16,698 million were up 16.7 per cent on the same period last year and were €878 million or 5.5 per cent ahead of profile. The main excesses over profile were on Corporation Tax (€317m), Stamp Duty (€226m) and Capital Gains Tax (€188m). Receipts from all other tax heads were also above profile, with the exception of Income Tax receipts, which were €53 million below profile.

Overall issues for net voted expenditure for May 2006 were up €980 million or 7.7 per cent as compared to May 2005. Net voted expenditure at end-May was €490 million or 3.4 per cent below the published profiles, with capital €156 million below and current €335 million below.