Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the underspend of €47 million against profile, €34 million current and €13 million capital, as published in the Exchequer returns; if there is likely to be an underspend at the end of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50698/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A profile of projected expenditure on a monthly basis is drawn up at the beginning of each year in order to anticipate the Department’s funding requirements and financial management over the course of the year. The profile which is the best estimate of expenditure available at the time is difficult to forecast and may vary significantly during the year for a variety of reasons, such as the level of payments under demand led schemes, the pattern of drawdown of Grants-in-Aid by State bodies, the levels of disease incident and payment of compensation, etc.. A monthly comparison is reported showing actual expenditure against the profile.

The recent Exchequer returns for my Department and show that the there are a number of budget lines, which are, for a variety of reasons, behind profile. I expect that in most cases expenditure will ‘catch up’ before the end of the year. Expenditure is being monitored and managed carefully with a view to minimising savings on this year’s Vote. The final outcome is to a large extent driven by factors outside the Department’s control but in the overall context of the Department’s Vote of €1.339billion, I do not expect a significant underspend this year.