Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 570: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the portion, excluding fixed costs such as payroll, of her vote she regards as being dedicated or ring-fenced, in that it is directed towards the meeting of statutory entitlements under the Social Welfare Acts; the portion she regards as being discretionary, in that service provision is not underpinned by statutory entitlement; if the budgetary process in her Department is designed in order to enable a clear distinction to be made between the funding of services that she is by statute obliged to provide and other services; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23065/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Expenditure on Social Welfare schemes and allowances for individual recipients are considered to be dedicated or ring-fenced regardless of whether or not the entitlement is laid down in statute. The Deputy would of course be aware that most of the schemes are on a statutory footing.