Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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214. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the latest Exchequer returns for October 2017 showing that his Department’s spend to this point is €65 million behind profile in gross voted expenditure; and if all moneys projected to be spent by year end will be met. [47542/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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A profile of projected expenditure on a monthly basis is drawn up at the beginning of each year in order to anticipate the Department’s funding requirements and financial management over the course of the year. The profile which is the best estimate of expenditure available at the time is difficult to forecast and may vary significantly during the year for a variety of reasons, such as the level of payments under demand led multi-year schemes, a different level of participation in some schemes than anticipated, the pattern of drawdown of Grants by State bodies, the levels of disease incident and payment of compensation, etc. A monthly comparison is then reported showing actual expenditure against the profile.

The recent Exchequer returns for my Department show that there are a number of budget lines, which are, for a variety of reasons, below profile. The Department’s expenditure at the end of October was behind profile by €75m, of which €38.6m is current and €36.4 is capital.

The profiled current expenditure for the January to October period represents just over two thirds of the voted funds so activity in the next seven weeks is also important, most particularly in relation to Programme B (farmer payments). In this area almost half of the total annual spend is scheduled to take place in the last 2 months of the year. Expenditure is being monitored and managed carefully with a view to minimising expenditure savings on this year’s Vote, in order to avoid spending pressures in subsequent years for multi-year schemes. The department’s staff are fully focussed on ensuring that scheme payments are made to eligible recipients. In this regard the submission of Nutrient Management Plans for GLAS, and Carbon Navigator updates for BDGP, will determine the maximum amount of payments that can be made.

The final outcome is, to an extent, driven by factors outside the Department’s control but in the context of the Department’s overall Vote every effort will be made to maximise the levels of expenditure.