Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the specific reason for the underspend in gross voted expenditure of €2 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. [31307/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a capital allocation in the 2018 Revised Estimates of €13 million across its two Votes (Vote 27 - International Co-operation and Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade).

The June 2018 Fiscal Monitor, to which the Deputy refers, compares expenditure to end-June 2018 with the profiles of expenditure provided by the Department to the Department of Expenditure at the start of the year. These profiles are, as the Deputy is aware, estimates of the projected expenditure in each month of the year. While expenditure at the mid-year point in each of the main areas of capital expenditure is behind profile, I am confident, at this stage, that the Department’s full capital allocation of €13 million will be spent by the end of 2018.

The Department’s priorities for 2018 include the ongoing implementation of the passport reform programme, as its online services are further expanded beyond the online adult passport renewal service launched last year; continued investment in the State’s global property network including the commencement of the development of a new Embassy/Ireland House facility in Tokyo; other Embassy projects, ongoing maintenance, security improvements, health and safety improvements, etc.; and the maintenance and enhancement of the Department’s ICT global communications network and new ICT system enhancements.

Decisions on allocations by project are consistent with value for money principles and provide clear benefits for the State.