Vol. 434 No. 4
53 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Finance whether he has corresponded with other Ministers regarding the trend in spending in their Departments, if so, the cause of his concern; and the remedial action, if any, that has been taken.
The Deputy will be aware that it is not normal practice for the details of Ministerial correspondence to be made public.
In my statement on the end-September Exchequer Returns, I indicated that the general budgetary outlook for the year is looking good. There are certain expenditure pressures emerging, particularly in the health area where additional expenditure of the order of £30-35 million may be required on demand-led schemes and on the implementation of the Child Care Act. Additional costs may also arise in the agriculture area as a result of costs associated with the realignment of the punt. On the other hand, significant savings are arising on the Social Welfare Vote following the lower than anticipated live register average in 1993 which will allow for the payment of the Christmas bonus without the need for additional funding.
It is still too early, however, to assess fully the extent of the likely overrun as my Department is still considering the issues in consultation with the relevant Departments.
