Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on public expenditure in the first quarter of 2022; the way that it compares with the first quarter of 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20336/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Overall expenditure for the first quarter of 2022 is €18.9 billion. This is some €607 million (-3.1%) below the same period in 2021.

Gross voted current expenditure of €17,746 million was €820 million or 4.4% below the same period last year. This largely reflects reduced expenditure in the Department of Social Protection, which was €2 billion lower than Q1 2021 due to lower expenditure on Covid schemes, as a result of the strong recovery in the economy and in the numbers in employment. At the end of March this year over 44,000 people were in receipt of the PUP compared to over 445,000 at the end of March last year.

This reduction is partially offset by increased expenditure across a number of departments including the Department of Education, which is €256 million ahead of the same period in 2021—reflecting school closures in 2021—and the Department of Health which is €597 million ahead of Q1 2021.

Gross Voted Capital Expenditure of €1,155 million is €213 million (22.6%) ahead on the same period in 2021. This reflects the closure of large parts of the construction section in quarter 1 2021 and the expenditure in the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on the one-off Energy Credit in 2022.