Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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531. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the specific reason for the underspend in gross voted expenditure of €17 million as outlined in Appendix V of the June 2018 Fiscal Monitor; the specific projects that have an underspend; the value of the underspend on each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31312/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Revised Estimates in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development sets out gross capital expenditure of €87.5m and current expenditure of €144m in respect of my Department for 2018. The capital expenditure is supplemented by some €7.7m in respect of capital carried forward from 2017.

The figure of €17m referred to in the Deputy’s question reflects the estimate of monthly capital expenditure underspend and excludes capital carryover expenditure from 2017.

In addition to actual gross capital expenditure of €6.9m to the end of June, a further €5.1m has been expended on capital carryover from 2017, comprising an additional €4.5m (LEADER) and €0.6m (National Rural Development Schemes).

I have set out in the attached table details of actual capital expenditure to end of June against profile (-€16.8m) as requested.

A significant portion of capital underspend against profile relates to the Town and Village Scheme (Subhead A8), which funds capital projects administered by the Local Authorities. I am conscious of the particular demands which were placed on Local Authorities in the early months of this year in responding to severe weather emergencies and these may have been a contributory factor to the underspend. However, my Department is in regular contact with Local Authorities and other stakeholders with a view to accelerating activity on all capital schemes, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and I expect to see an increase in capital spending as the year progresses.

For example, while the LEADER programme also shows an underspend against profile to the end of June, the delivery of this programme on the ground is continuing to grow rapidly. At present 1,150 projects with a value of over €34 million had been approved for funding by the LEADER Local Action Groups. Almost 300 further projects are going through the approvals process. Payments will be made to all of these projects as they become operational and submit payment claims.

It should be noted that all figures provided are provisional, pending audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.