Written answers
Thursday, 24 April 2008
Department of Finance
Services for People with Disabilities
5:00 pm
David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 140, 141, 142 and 143 of 7 November 2007, the position regarding the overall public expenditure on disability specific services each year respectively since 2004 to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15917/08]
Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As I indicated in my response to the previous parliamentary questions, the overall allocation of Exchequer funding for the provision of disability specific services is provided for in the annual estimates. The development of policy, the provision of services for people with disability and expenditure on those services in each sector are primarily a matter for the Minister responsible for each sector. Under the Disability Act 2005, each Minister is responsible for allocating out of the moneys available to him or her the maximum amount as he/she considers appropriate for such services having regard to the other obligations which he or she must provide for. Similarly, the relevant Departments are responsible for preparing and reporting progress on their Sectoral Plans.
The table provides updated details of the overall public expenditure on disability specific services as reported to my Department by the various Government Departments from 2004 to date.
| Department | Estimate 2004 | Estimate 2005 | Estimate 2006 | Outturn 2006 | Estimate 2007 | Provisional Outturn 2007 | Estimate 2008 |
| €'000 | €'000 | €'000 | €'000 | €'000 | €'000 | €'000 | |
| Agriculture | 80 | 61 | 53 | 115 | 860 | ||
| Arts, Sports and Tourism | 2,113 | 242 | 3,416 | 648 | |||
| Communications, Energy and Natural Resources | 1,960 | 1,942 | 83 | 161 | 133 | ||
| Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs | 1,600 | 2,425 | 2,511 | 2,479 | 3,375 | ||
| Defence | 9,060 | 9,024 | 10,299 | 9,336 | 10,341 | ||
| Education | 469,345 | 568,427 | 643,000 | 706,000* | 827,935 | 840,097 | 904,553 |
| Enterprise, Trade and Employment | 56,087 | 64,112 | 78,832 | 68,145 | 76,938 | 76,594 | 77,772 |
| Environment, Heritage and Local Government | 35,123 | 46,849 | 63,303 | 58,215 | 61,280 | 64,993 | 61,486 |
| Finance | 7,766 | 8,152 | 13,326 | 10,850 | 11,905 | ||
| Foreign Affairs | 1,627 | 1,949 | 267 | 1,772 | 1,752 | 1,776 | |
| Health and Children | 1,958,139 | 2,183,103 | 2,420,000 | 2,385,000 | 2,656,000 | 2,647,000 | 2,902,029 |
| Justice, Equality and Law Reform | 6,812 | 10,564 | 11,986 | 15,420 | 14,371 | 14,578 | 14,117 |
| Office of Public Works | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 4,241 | 5,000 | 4,125 | 5,000 |
| Social and Family Affairs | 1,892,561 | 1,902,946 | 2,567,231 | 2,617,071 | 2,749,082 | ||
| Taoiseach | 64 | 75 | 40 | 35 | 180 | ||
| Transport | 6,219 | 5,549 | 15,000 | 8,267 | 15,000 | 10,615 | 14,000 |
| Total | 2,536,725 | 2,885,231 | 5,152,161 | 5,172,294 | 6,252,079 | 6,303,217 | 6,757,256 |
| * Figure amended by the Department of Education and Science. |
Any queries in relation to the detail of the provision for and expenditure on disability specific services should be referred to the relevant Ministers. The cost to the Exchequer of the Disabled Drivers Scheme was €53 million in 2004, €56 million in 2005, €68 million in 2006, and €75 million in 2007. The estimated cost to the Exchequer of the Disabled Drivers Scheme for 2008 is €83 million.
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