Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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395. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider allocating €12 million as a capital budget for Údarás Na Gaeltachta; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39052/14]

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1746 of 17 September 2014 in relation to this matter. As I stated in that reply, funding for the various Departments, including my own, are decided through the Budgetary and Estimates process annually. With regard to the capital budget for Údarás na Gaeltachta, I wish to again reiterate that, as Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs, I very much appreciate the importance of job creation in helping to retain sustainable communities in Gaeltacht areas. In that context, I wish to again acknowledge the very important enterprise and employment function of Údarás na Gaeltachta as the regional economic agency for the Gaeltacht.

I am fully informed of Údarás na Gaeltachta's strategic proposal to increase its capital budget over time from the present level of €5.687m to €12m per annum. I am very aware and supportive of the case advanced by the organisation that such an increase in funding would enable it to create an additional 300 jobs per annum.

As the Deputy is aware, it was announced as part of Budget 2014 that comprehensive reviews of both current and capital expenditure would be undertaken by all Departments during 2014. These reviews underpin the Government's multi-annual budgetary framework and are conducted periodically to re-set Departmental expenditure ceilings in line with emerging Government priorities. Clearly, the capital allocation for Údarás na Gaeltachta for 2015 will be informed by the outcome of those reviews and within the framework of Budget 2015, which is being announced today.