Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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91. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 44 and 45 of 25 June 2015, the primary causes of her Department's overspend and underspend, as referenced in her reply. [27497/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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At the end of May last, total Net Vote 37 expenditure for the Department of Social Protection was underspent by €147.6 million (3.1%) relative to profile. The underspend arises as a result of a lower requirement (€189.64 m) for an Exchequer Subvention to the Social Insurance Fund, higher (€7.91 m) than profiled Appropriations in Aid with both offset by higher than profiled expenditure (€50m) on Vote 37 schemes, services and administration. The lower than expected Exchequer Subvention is due to higher than expected PRSI receipts (€200.5 million).

Overall expenditure on all schemes, services and administration operated by Vote 37 and the Social Insurance Fund was ahead of profile at end May by €49 million (0.6%). While expenditure on the schemes, services operated by the Social Insurance Fund (and associated administration costs) was just below target, similar expenditure on Vote 37 was just short of €50 million ahead of profile. The principal reason for this overspend relates to expenditure on jobseeker’s allowance (€33.5 million ahead of profile) and carer’s allowance (€12 million ahead of profile).