Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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71. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on the merits of producing national and local authority level statistics to outline how an individual's income taxes are spent, broken down by Department, local services, and so on (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38836/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Deputy’s interest in enhancing transparency in respect of public expenditure and I acknowledge the value of providing clear, accessible information on how funding is allocated to support public service delivery. My Department currently leads on a number of relevant initiatives in this regard:

• The Department seeks to enhance access to information in this area through the website WhereYourMoneyGoes.gov.ie, which offers an interactive tool illustrating the data from the Revised Estimates Volume. The website is a graphical, easy-to-use tool for examining Government expenditure over the period 2014 to 2025. The data is presented in a variety of interactive charts, which may be accessed to provide a greater level of detail, and allows users to examine how Exchequer funds are distributed across Government Departments and key public services. The site also includes an explanatory section detailing how funding is allocated more generally, helping the public to understand the link between how revenue is raised and public expenditure and the services it supports.
• Each December, my Department publishes the Revised Estimates Volume for Public Services (or REV). This document provides details about spending in each Government Department and agencies by programme area. It serves as a key transparency and accountability tool, offering insight into the objectives, outputs and performance indicators associated with public spending. The REV supports parliamentary scrutiny and public transparency by linking financial allocations to policy priorities and service delivery outcomes.
• In addition, the Public Service Performance Report facilitates the review of performance information presented by each Department and Office in the REV. By focusing on a particular year, it is intended to provide an opportunity to examine the expenditure allocations and public service delivery commitments set out in that year’s REV in the context of subsequent provisional outturns and reporting of public service delivery.
• Finally, my Department also publishes The Budget in Brief each budget day. This is a Plain English guide to the budget for the public, which breaks down the key tax and expenditure measures announced that day.