Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 214 together.

The underspend against profile within my Department's Vote for the year to 31 October 2016 largely relates to delays in the drawdown of capital funding for:

- certain once-off Decade of Centenary projects; and

- the Rural and Regional Programme that transferred to my Department in June.

The Decade of Centenary projects where there have been some delays in drawdown are part of the ‘Permanent Reminders’ component of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and include Richmond Barracks, the new cultural centre at Pearse’s Cottage at Ros Muc and the Tenement Museum in Henrietta Street. All of these are now either completed or very close to completion, and will take up all of their planned 2016 allocation by the end of this year.

There were also unavoidable delays in some other cases – for example, the National Monument at 14-17 Moore Street and the major redevelopment at the National Archives. While some progress has been made on these projects, the full expected drawdown of funds will not now occur this year.

With regard to the Rural and Regional Programme, the main delay in drawdown is in relation to the LEADER Programme and is due to the fact that the new programme has only recently commenced.

Timing issues in relation to the drawdown of funding across a number of other subheads have also contributed to the current underspend against profile but it is anticipated that these will rectify by year end. All of the subheads showing an underspend against profile as at 31 October 2016 are listed in the table.

All expenditure within my Department's Vote continues to be carefully monitored to ensure the best use of available financial resources. Public Financial Procedures provide that a maximum of 10% of the capital envelope of a Vote may be carried over by way of deferred surrender to the following year for spending in that year on priority capital programmes subject to the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Sanction has also been received to vire some capital savings to meet pressures across a number of subheads and programme areas.

It is too early to accurately forecast the final end of year outturn at this point in time but no savings beyond those which can be carried forward by deferred surrender into 2017 are envisaged at present .

Subheads showing an underspend against profile at 31 October 2016
A.4	General Expenses of the National Archives and National Archives Advisory Council
A.5	General Expenses of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Chester Beatty Library, National Concert Hall and the Crawford Gallery
A.6	Regional Museums, Galleries, Cultural Centres and Projects
A.8	Culture Ireland
A.11	General Expenses of the National Library of Ireland
A.13	General Expenses of the National Gallery of Ireland
A.15	Decade of Centenaries 1912-1922
A.16	Cork Events Centre
B.4	Built Heritage
B.5	Natural Heritage (National Parks and Wildlife Service)
B.6	Irish Heritage Trust
B.7	Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme
B.8	Peatlands Restoration
C.3	Gaeltacht Support Schemes
C.4	Irish Language Support Schemes
C.5	An Coimisinéir Teanga
C.9	Islands
C.10	20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030
C.11	Decade of Centenaries – Teach an Phiarsaigh
E.3	Dormant Accounts Measures
E.4	Western Development Commission
E.6	LEADER – Rural Economy Sub Programme
E.8	Town and Village Regeneration