The Minister for Finance, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., presented the 2005 Revised Estimates for Public Services and Public Capital Programme to Dáil Éireann today.

The Revised Estimates reflect the spending totals announced on Budget Day together with some adjustments arising since then across a range of Departments.

Total gross voted expenditure incorporating capital and current services in 2005 will be €45.7 billion, almost €4.5 billion more than 2004. The year-on-year percentage increase over 2004 is 11 per cent.

The main spending areas are:

Changes since Budget Day

Overall, estimated gross expenditure in 2005 by Departments on services has increased by €861 million, and estimated net voted spending has increased by €184 million, since Budget Day. The major changes are:

Health Expenditure

·        €543 million in respect of various hospital and other charges that were previously collected and retained by the health boards and did not impact on the Department of Health and Children Vote. As the Health Service Executive (HSE) now has its own Vote, this income is recorded as Appropriations-in-Aid on the Vote, giving rise to a corresponding increase in gross voted expenditure. This does not affect net spending;

·        a one-off provision of €122 million in respect of accumulated overdrafts of the former health boards which fell to be repaid at the start of 2005 as the HSE, with its own Vote, is precluded from running an overdraft. A further one-off provision of €94 million is also being made in respect of certain statutory and other deductions from Health Board employee salaries last December, which were actually paid to Revenue (and other beneficiaries) in January this year and have to be charged to the HSE Vote for 2005;

·        €40 million for the ex-gratia payment scheme established in the context of the issue of charges for long stay care in health board institutions. Vote 40 will also meet the costs arising out of the reimbursement of charges for long stay care in health board institutions following the Supreme Court decision on the Health (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2004. Additional funds to reimburse the Vote for these costs will be provided later in the year by way of a Supplementary Estimate;

·        €104 million additional Appropriations-in-Aid in respect of health contributions and the recovery of the cost of health services provided under regulations of the European Community; and,

·        €30 million for other miscellaneous expenditure.

Foreign Affairs

·        an additional €10m allocated to the Vote for International Co-operation for the Tsunami relief effort in South-East Asia

·        €12 million allocated to the Foreign Affairs Vote to facilitate a change in the accounting year for their overseas missions from October to September, to January to December, which will, in 2005, result in a 15 month charge on the Foreign Affairs Vote.

Other

Other miscellaneous changes across a range of Votes added €10 million to gross expenditure and reduced net expenditure by €20 million.

Capital Carryover

€237 million of capital savings from 2004, a reduction of €11 million since the publication of the AEV, are available for spending in 2005 under the multi-annual capital envelopes carryover facility. These carryover amounts are identified separately under the appropriate Votes.

24 February 2005

Click here to access the 2005 Revised Estimates

Click here to access the Meastacháin Athbhreithnithe le haghaidh Seirbhísí Poiblí 2005

Click here to access the 2005 Public Capital Programme