Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 345: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the changes to programmes overseen by his Department which account for the €248 million net decrease in expenditure estimated for 2010, broken down by programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47886/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The 2010 budget provisions compared to 2009 for my Department are as follows.

2009 (including Difference Supplementary Estimate)

Gross €1,735m. €2,003m. - €268m.

Receipts €384m. €404m. - €20m.

Net €1,351m. €1,599m. - €248m.

The above represents a comparison between the 2009 Vote, including the Supplementary Estimate which was approved by the Dáil on 8 December 2009 to provide for transfers of savings and increased receipts in 2009. The reduction in the net provision is accounted for under several expenditure subheads as published in the Budget. The main changes compared to 2009 are as follows (figures in brackets are the 2010 allocation and % reduction on 2009 as published in the Estimate for the Department).

Food Safety and Animal Health (€186.3m; -26%): The reduction is due to the fact that the 2009 Vote provided €165m for expenditure arising under the pigmeat recall scheme for which a corresponding allocation is not required in 2010.

REPS (€330m; -11%): While the allocation for the scheme as published in the Budget Day Estimate appears to have reduced, in fact the provision in 2010 is the same as the original Revised Estimate in 2009. The reduction reflects the fact that an additional €39 million was provided for the Scheme in 2009 through the Supplementary Estimate.

Development of Agriculture (€270.8m; -27%): The Budget Day Estimate shows a reduction of €101 million under this subhead which, in general, provides for capital expenditure schemes operated by the department. The reduction reflects the fact that expenditure under the Farm Waste Management Scheme which would otherwise have fallen into 2010 was approved for payment in 2009.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (€19.2m; -49%): The cut in the BIM Grant-in-Aid reflects (a) the non repetition in 2010 of a provision of €14.6 million for the fisheries decommissioning scheme which was geared to reduce fishing capacity to bring it into line with available stocks and (b) lower funding requirements by BIM for general operations in 2010 due largely to improvements in efficiencies.