Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount by which the education budget has been cut in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15875/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The gross expenditure provision for 2011 for my Department of €8.91 billion contained in the 2011 Revised Estimates Volume does not readily compare with recorded expenditure of €8.705 billion in 2007. This is mainly due to: (a) the transfer in 2010 of certain functions in relation to Skills Development from the former Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to my Department (provision of €164 million in 2011); (b) the transfer from 2011 of responsibility for Nursing Education from the Department of Health to my Department (provision of €56 million in 2011); and (c) the transfer in 2009 of responsibility for certain Youth Organisations and Youth Activities from my Department to the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (expenditure of €58 million in 2007). When account is taken of the above, equivalent estimated expenditure in 2011 for my Department of €8.690 billion compares to expenditure of €8.647 billion in 2007 - an increase of 0.5%.

Reductions in expenditure arising from a range of measures introduced in recent Budgets, including reductions in pay rates, reductions in rates of grants and other savings measures across various programmes, have been offset, in large part, by the additional costs associated with increases in student numbers at first, second and third levels during the period.