Finian McGrath
Question:399 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the amount of public money spent on roads, animal welfare and the homeless over the past year. [15579/02]
Vol. 554 No. 5
399 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance the amount of public money spent on roads, animal welfare and the homeless over the past year. [15579/02]
The information sought by the Deputy is a matter in the first instance for the following Ministers: roads, the Ministers for Transport and Environment and Local Government; the homeless, the Ministers for the Environment and Local Government and Health and Children; animal welfare, the Minister for Agriculture and Food.
400 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider an injection of capital to keep the economy going until an upturn occurs; and if he will further consider borrowing from the European pool of savings at no incremental cost. [15580/02]
My Department's latest forecast for GDP growth this year is 3.5%. The Central Bank in its recent autumn bulletin has forecast GDP growth next year in excess of 4%. These are growth rates well above performance elsewhere across the EU.
The public capital programme has been accorded a high priority in recent years. Public capital expenditure, budgeted at €5.75 billion this year, now represents a much higher share of national income than in other developed countries.