Written answers
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Departmental Expenditure
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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256. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason for the €14 million in capital underspend in his Department as outlined in the fiscal monitor for December 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2492/18]
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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My Department actively manages expenditure each year in order to deliver on its agreed business priorities and objectives. In overall terms, capital expenditure at end 2017 was some €163m out of a total allocation of €183m (including capital carryover from 2017), equating to 89% of profiled expenditure. €6m of the 2017 capital underspend is being carried forward into 2018, leaving a net capital underspend of €14m.
The capital underspend in 2017 was due principally to lower than anticipated expenditure in the Communications, Energy and Environment & Waste Management Programme areas. The main reasons for the underspends are set out in the Table.
| Programme Area | Reason for Underspend |
|---|---|
| Communications | Expenditure in relation to the National Broadband Plan project reflected the current stage and complexity of the procurement process. While 2017 targets under the Trading Online Voucher Scheme were exceeded, the average cost of vouchers was less than estimated, resulting in a lower drawdown under the Scheme. |
| Energy | Underspends arose within the Sustainable Energy Programmes due, in the main, to slower than expected demand for the Deep Retrofit Scheme, and the delay in the commencement of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat until 2018. Drawdown of funding support in the energy research area was also less than anticipated. |
| Environment & Waste Management | Underspend in the waste management area resulted from lower drawdown of grant funding for landfill remediation projects undertaken by Local Authorities, and delays in the repatriation of waste from illegal landfills in Northern Ireland, progress on which is dependent on an Executive being in place in Northern Ireland. Expenditure on environmental technical research and modelling was also less than anticipated. |
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