Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the unallocated spend within his Department for 2017; the details of expenditure allocated to programmes in 2017 which are due to cease in 2017; the funds which will become available within his Department's expenditure profile in 2018 due to changes in demand for services, goods and or changes to costs within his Department and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32179/17]

Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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209. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount allocated to his Department under budget 2017; the amount of this that remains to be spent in his Department; the headings under which the unspent allocation has been made; the anticipated spend between July 2017 and 31 December 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32180/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 and 209 together.

The 2017 Gross Voted Expenditure Allocation for my Department is €9,171 million. The net overall allocation for my Department, taking account of forecast appropriations-in-aid in 2017, is €8,675m. These figures do not include the non-voted National Training Fund.

All expenditure has been allocated under the four main programme areas as outlined in the Revised Estimates Volume:

1. First and Second Level Schools€6,598b(72%)

2. Skills Development€343m(4%)

3. Higher Education€1,585b(17%)

4. Capital Services€645m(7%)

Almost 81% of the current allocation, some €6,838 million, is accounted for by pay and pensions.

None of our major programmes are expected to cease in 2017.

I anticipate that the remaining net allocation of €4,439 million will be spent between July and December.

It is too early in the year to identify the expected end-year expenditure position for my Department, especially given that the academic year starts in September when many of the new budgetary measures will take effect. I expect that there will be a range of expenditure pressures which will need to be managed in line with trends of recent years, including demographic pressures and superannuation costs.

The Department’s Budget for 2018 will be negotiated as part of the annual Estimates process, and will have regard to levels of demand for services, Government policy priorities as set out in the Programme for Government, the Confidence and Supply Arrangement and the Action Plan for Education as well as the views of the Oireachtas.