Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Finance the proportion of revenue raised used for job creation measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34010/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As a general principle revenues such as those from tax revenue and non-tax revenue are not assigned to particular areas of expenditure. Rather they form part of the overall “pot” of resources, along with funds sourced from borrowing and capital receipts, from which the Government draws for expenditure on State services. As regards the resources available for job creation these are detailed in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2012 which was published earlier this year. Further details on specific measures can be provided by the relevant Ministers.

As the Deputy will be aware of course, in order to fund the various measures introduced as part of last year’s Jobs Initiative, the Government introduced a temporary levy on funded pension schemes and personal pension plans. The measures introduced as part of the Jobs Initiative included a new second reduced VAT rate of 9% aimed primarily at the tourism sector, a halving of the employers PRSI rate until 2013, small amounts of additional current and capital expenditure aimed primarily at labour intensive projects and increasing the number of available educational, training and up-skilling places.