Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Finance the additional annual current voted Exchequer spending required in 2009 to 2012, over and above the cost of maintaining existing services, of the commitments made in the National Development Plan 2007 to 2012. [19126/08]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Finance the additional annual current voted Exchequer spending required in 2008 to 2012, over and above the cost of maintaining existing services, of the commitments made in the Programme for Government. [19127/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 59 together.

The National Development Plan 2007-2013 (NDP) sets out a seven year financial framework within which Government Departments and agencies could plan the delivery of public investment and expenditure, including existing levels of service and enhancements of service. The great bulk of projected NDP investment comes from the Exchequer and this is particularly true of current expenditure. Statutory approval for Exchequer expenditure under the NDP can only be conveyed through the approval by the Dail of the annual estimates.

The Programme for Government is a five-year programme in which a number of guiding principles in relation to economic and budgetary matters have been set out.

As the Deputy is aware, the first instalment of the delivery of NDP current expenditure took place in the Estimates approved by the Dail for 2007. The second instalment of NDP current expenditure and the first instalment of the Programme for Government — Budget 2008 — were published in December. Budget 2008 announced all new spending and taxation measures in a single, unified way and was a significant reform providing for greater transparency. The costs associated with the decisions made were set out at Budget time. Full details of NDP projected expenditure for 2007 and 2008 (both current and capital) were set out in Appendix 3 of the Revised Estimates Volumes for 2007 and 2008. The first Annual Report on NDP Implementation, covering 2007, will shortly be submitted to the Oireachtas.

As previously indicated, further instalments for both the NDP and the Programme for Government will be made in the subsequent Budgets over the lifetime of this Government.

The Stability and Growth Pact Update for 2007 to 2010 was set out in the Budget Booklet published in December 2007. This gives detailed data on the economic and fiscal projections for the period ahead and also provides relevant data on the NDP to which the Deputy might wish to refer.