Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the source of the increase in capital funding for her Department from the figure given on page 86 of the budget 2017 expenditure report of €30 million and the statement by her on 3 November 2016 that the figure is actually €52 million; the other funding that has been cut to meet this increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35293/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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In the Revised Estimates Volume for 2016 my Department was allocated €503m in capital expenditure for 2016. In the Mid-Year Expenditure Review in July this year my Department was shown as having an indicative capital allocation of €525m for 2017. However, following successful negotiations in the recent Estimates 2017 process the Department was allocated €555m. Accordingly, the 2017 Estimates' allocation is €30 million above the originally published allocation, and €52m above the 2016 allocation.

It is the case that the €555 million capital secured represents the largest capital funding allocation to the Department in over a decade. The increased capital funding is 10% higher than the 2016 level. It will enable the Department and its Agencies to support further job creation, innovation and assist Irish based enterprise in responding to the evolving challenges and opportunities relating to Brexit. The additional funding secured demonstrates Government’s ongoing commitment to delivering 200,000 additional jobs by 2020 of which 135,000 will be in the regions.