Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will comment on the Exchequer return for the first month of 2007. [3893/07]

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 tax receipts, expenditure and debt service profiles for 2007.

The results for the first month of 2007 confirm the continuing sound position of public finances. The Exchequer Balance to end-January showed a surplus of €1,691 million compared to a surplus of €1,302 million for the same period last year and a budgeted deficit of €546 million for 2007 as a whole.

Exchequer tax receipts to end-January are, at €4,745 million, €55 million or 1.2% above profile. They are up 12.2% on the same period last year. This compares with a Budget day target of an increase of 7.8% for 2007 as a whole. The main excesses over profile were corporation tax (€54 m), VAT (€44 m), stamp duties (€34 m) and capital taxes (€24 m) but these have been balanced by income tax receipts which are €166 million below profile.

Overall issues for net voted expenditure for January 2007 were 1.9% or €67 million above the profiles, which were published last week. Net voted capital expenditure at end January was €10 million higher and net voted current expenditure was €57 million higher. This was mainly due to a significant payment of €41 million from the International Co-operation Vote which was made in January but profiled for February.