Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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211. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if funding allocated for the national broadband plan but not spent remains in his Department until it is spent; if not, if it is returned to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6029/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The National Broadband Plan is one of the projects funded through the Capital allocation for my Department. Funding for the National Broadband Plan is allocated from the Communications subhead A.3. Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004 provides that a maximum of up to 10% of the total capital allocation of each Vote may be carried over to the following financial year, subject to the approval of the Oireachtas and an Order from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Any capital underspend on individual subheads that together exceed the total permissible capital carryover of 10% is surrendered back to the Exchequer at the end of the financial year.