Minister Donohoe announces €4 billion in Supplementary Estimates

The Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, has today (Tuesday) received government approval for proposed supplementary estimates to the value of €4 billion for a range of government departments and agencies.

These Supplementary Estimates will provide additional funding this year for a number of different developments.

Firstly, approximately €1.1 billion will fund the 2023 elements of Cost of Living package announced as part of Budget 2024. This includes a number of additional social welfare payments, such as Christmas Bonus, double Child Benefit, series of lump sum payments for Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, Living Alone Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and Disability Allowance recipients. This follows on from last week’s Supplementary Estimate to provide funding for three €150 energy credits for households.

Secondly, funding will be provided to support government departments providing a range of public services to people arriving to Ireland fleeing the war in Ukraine. This includes additional school places, medical cards and other services.

Thirdly, taking account of a capital carryover of €70 million, health spending will be an additional €960 million. This will fund increased demand and activity in the health service, particularly in the Acute Hospital Sector. This brings the final gross allocation to approximately €22.4 billion. €850 million will be provided to the Department of Education for accelerated progress on the school building programme and additional pay costs. €170 million for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for both Tusla and Disability Service pressures.

Minister Donohoe said:

“Today I secured an additional €4 billion in funding for supplementary estimates. This brings the total amount of supplementary estimate funding provided in 2023 to €6 billion.

"This additional funding demonstrates the responsive actions taken by Government throughout 2023 to provide additional Cost of Living measures in the face of continued elevated inflation levels. These measures are being rolled out in a timely manner with those on lower incomes benefitting to a greater extent.

"This funding also recognises the additional demand facing our public services particularly in the health and education sectors. Our public services continue to operate in a post-pandemic environment with increased demand and complexity.”

Notes

26 Supplementary Estimates announced today including:

Department of the Taoiseach (Vote 2)
Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Vote 9)
Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Vote 11)
Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Vote 12)
Office of Public works (Vote 13)
State Laboratory (Vote 14)
Public Appointments Service (Vote 17)
National Shared Services Office (Vote 18)
Garda Síochána (Vote 20)
Prisons (Vote 21)
Courts Service (Vote 22)
Justice (Vote 24)
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Vote 25)
Education (Vote 26)
International Co-Operation (Vote 27)
Foreign Affairs (Vote 28)
Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Vote 30)
Transport (Vote 31)
Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Vote 32)
Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Vote 33)
Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Vote 34)
Social Protection (Vote 37)
Health (Vote 38)
Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Vote 40)
Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (Vote 43)
Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Vote 45)

Total number of Supplementary Estimates in 2023 is 31 with associated funding of €6 billion.

Previous Supplementary Estimates in addition to ones listed above:

Those brought to Government last week:

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Vote 5)
Office of the Minister for Finance (Vote 7)
Environment, Climate and Communications (Vote 29)
Rural and Community Development (Vote 42

And an earlier Supplementary Estimates brought in respect of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (Vote 40).