Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

139. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the maximum amount that can be spent in each Vote under the four-fifths rule; the amount actually spent to date for each Vote; when each Vote will reach its four-fifths maximum in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9738/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Due to the fact that the Revised Estimates Volume (REV) for 2020 had not been voted on prior to the dissolution of Dáil Éireann earlier this year, spending by Departments and Offices thus far in 2020 has been operating under the ‘four-fifths’ rule that applies under the Central Fund (Permanent Provisions) Act 1965.

With the exception of Vote 37 Employment Affairs and Social Protection, where a Revised Estimate was voted on and passed by the Dáil on Thursday, 28thMay 2020, the following table sets out for each Vote:

- The amount available under the four-fifths rule - the Authorised Issues;

- The expenditure position at end-May 2020 - Net Voted Expenditure Issues; and

- The month in which the four-fifths limit is expected to be met, based on expenditure to end-May plus the published profile based on the REV 2020 published in December 2019. In the case of the Department of Health and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the calculation in the table takes into account the estimated impact of the Covid-19 expenditure measures agreed by Government. 

In relation to Health, based on the Covid-19 measures introduced by Government to date and the REV profile, it is expected that the four-fifths limit will be exceeded in August.

The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is in receipt of additional funding to support businesses through this crisis, which will likely impact the month in which their four-fifths limit is reached. Based on current projections in relation to the drawdown of these additional resources there is a risk that this limit will be reached early in July as included in the following table.

Based on expenditure levels to date and the REV profile, as outlined in  the following table, it would be expected that the Department of the Taoiseach would reach the four-fifths limit in September. However, further to this, my Department has been advised that there are additional costs arising from the role of that Department in coordinating work on the Covid-19 crisis, that may accelerate the date on which the four-fifths limit is reached to earlier in the summer.

Table 1: Net Expenditure Position at end-May 2020 in relation to the Four-Fifths Rule