Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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203. To ask the Minister for Finance if transfers to the SIF come out of the central fund and are included in net spending figures in the SPU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28726/24]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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204. To ask the Minister for Finance if the figures for net expenditure presented in the SPU include payments to the NTF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28727/24]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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205. To ask the Minister for Finance if in the figures for net expenditure presented in the SPU includes payments to the FIF/ICNF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28728/24]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 203, 204 and 205 together.

I assume the Deputy is referring to net Exchequer expenditure.

Transfers to the SIF do not come out of the Central Fund and net Exchequer expenditure does not include transfers to the SIF. Transfers to the SIF come from PRSI receipts.

As set out in the Ministers and Secretaries Act 2011, expenditure from the NTF forms part of overall Government Expenditure Ceilings, and as such is included in the relevant ministerial ceilings (in this case DFHERIS). The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2024 (REV) outlined an overall Government Expenditure Ceiling of €96.7 billion for 2024, this €96.7 billion includes €920 million of expenditure from the NTF.

Payments to the NTF do not come out of the Central Fund, consequently, net Exchequer expenditure does not include payments to the NTF. The NTF is funded by levies on employers.

Transfers to the Future Ireland Fund (FIF) and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICNF) are included in net Exchequer expenditure and will come from the Central Fund. In 2024, a transfer of c. €4 billion will be made to the FIF from the Exchequer and, approximately €2 billion and €4 billion will be transferred to the ICNF and FIF respectively from the dissolved National Reserve Fund resulting in an overall contribution of €10 billion to the funds at the end of 2024. From 2025, all transfers to the funds will come from the Central Fund.

It is important to mention that transfers into the funds have no impact on the General Government Balance (GGB). When compiling the GGB, transfers from the central fund to the FIF/ICNF are re-included in the “walk”[1] to offset the payment from the Central Fund.

[1] The “walk” reconciles the general government balance to the Exchequer balance.