Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 100 of 16 October 2012, confirming a higher expected out-turn for 2010 of €20.7 to €20.8 billion, if she still intend to target €540 million of new cuts in Budget 2013 as per the Comprehensive Expenditure Review or will she be revising this target and if so by how much. [46491/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012 – 2014 published by Government last December provides for additional new expenditure reduction measures of €540 million to be achieved by the Department of Social Protection in Budget 2013. My officials are currently preparing, on a no policy change basis, an estimate of the total expenditure of the Department in 2013. This estimate will have regard to the latest information available on scheme trends, macro-economic indicators, demographic change, the carryover financial impacts of measures announced in Budget 2012 and previous Budgets as well as the projected out-turn for 2012. The latter, in itself, is just one factor influencing this pre-Budget estimate for 2013. The preparations for Budget 2013 are still underway and its content has not yet been finalised. The allocation for my Department in 2013 will be announced on Budget Day in conjunction with associated expenditure measures, including the financial impact of same in 2013 and subsequent years.