Written answers
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Departmental Expenditure
9:00 pm
Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way the reduction of €47.4 million in the Estimate for his Department, announced in the 7 April 2009 Budget, will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16726/09]
Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reductions in funding to community and voluntary organisations that will follow from the decisions of the Supplementary Budget of 7 April 2009 to cut the Estimate for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16722/09]
Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the main changes in the Estimate for his Department, arising from the 7 April 2009 budget decisions. [16725/09]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 84, 91 and 106 together.
As the Deputy is aware, in the current economic circumstances, the Government was faced with difficult decisions in the recent Budget. Accordingly, it considered a range of measures to maintain a prudent fiscal outturn for 2009 and to provide the basis for a sustainable approach to the current financial situation. Across Government, our approach has been to do this in as balanced a way as possible.
The revised 2009 net allocation for my Department at €443.7m shows a reduction of €47.4m on the initial estimated allocation announced in October 2008. Full details of the reductions at an individual programme level are available in the recently published Revised Estimates Volume 2009, which is available on line via the following website address: http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=5745
€11.8m of my Department's reduction relates to capital expenditure. This includes a transfer of some €2.5m to the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs relating to the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund. The balance reflects adjustments in capital expenditure made in the package of measures announced by the Minister of Finance at end-January 2009.
The table below summarises the position for my Department's capital programme areas:
Capital Programme Area | 2009 Budget Allocation | 2009 REV Allocations | Reduction |
€000 | €000 | €000 | |
Administration | 680 | 610 | -70 |
Developing Communities | 14,000 | 13,340 | -660 |
Tackling Problem Drug Use | 8,100 | 4,591 | -3,509 |
Rural Development | 51,000 | 47,976 | -3,024 |
Gaeltacht & Islands Development | 59,070 | 55,332 | -3,738 |
Promotion and Maintenance of the Irish Language | 650 | 600 | -50 |
North/South Co-operation | 11,500 | 10,726 | -774 |
Total | 145,000 | 133,175 | -11,825 |
In relation to current expenditure, there is a reduction of €35.6m, which includes a transfer of €17.4m to the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and a transfer of €2m to the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism from Ciste na Gaeilge in relation to the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Regional Development Programme. The balance is made up of savings achieved mainly by the reduction of administration costs for my Department, the State agencies within its ambit, and community and voluntary organisations.
The table below summarises the position for my Department's current programme areas:
Current Programme Area | 2009 Budget Allocation | 2009 REV Allocations | Reduction |
€000 | €000 | €000 | |
Administration | 18,778 | 18,347 | -431 |
Developing Communities | 161,650 | 149,976 | -11,674 |
Tackling Problem Drug Use | 53,000 | 36,020 | -16,980 |
Rural Development | 56,760 | 55,446 | -1,314 |
Gaeltacht & Islands Development | 31,630 | 30,586 | -1,044 |
Promotion and Maintenance of the Irish Language | 9,972 | 7,774 | -2,198 |
North/South Co-operation | 46,295 | 44,376 | -1,919 |
Total | 378,085 | 342,525 | -35,560 |
To the extent that community and voluntary organisations are affected within the various programme areas of my Department, efforts have been made to minimise the effect on frontline services, where possible. This approach will continue in the context of the ongoing financial management of my Department's Vote.
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