I propose to take Questions Nos. 279, 280, 281 and 288 together.
Under the Programme for Government, there is a commitment to continuing reform and improvement of the budgetary process, including an enhanced focus across Government on issues of performance and national well-being. This will build on reforms introduced over the last number of years, including Performance Budgeting and Equality Budgeting, which seek to enhance Ireland’s budgetary framework and ensure that expenditure is managed in an efficient and effective way and are focussed on providing the evidence base to support the efficient and effective delivery of services that have a positive impact on people's lives. This work is being further enhanced with the development of the Wellbeing Framework for Ireland that can inform efforts to improve the impact of public policy.
The ‘whole-of-year’ budgetary framework introduced means an ongoing consideration of budgetary priorities throughout the year, rather than focusing budget discussions only around Budget Day and seeks to support enhanced transparency and engagement in relation to budgetary issues. An important element of this is the publication at key points in the year of a range of documents including the Public Service Performance Report, the Summer Economic Statement, the Mid-Year Expenditure Report, and the Spending Review papers.
Given the significant level of resources to be provided under the medium term expenditure strategy, an ongoing and enhanced focus on value for money is required to ensure the benefit to the Exchequer and citizens. It is a key responsibility of every Department and Minister to manage expenditure within their respective allocations and careful monitoring of spending against profile and of progress on programmes and projects is required. My Department is in regular contact with all other Departments and Offices regarding this. Spending figures are compiled monthly and published in the Fiscal Monitor to report on spend against profile for all Ministerial Vote Groups and the main spending Departments will continue to report to Government quarterly in 2022 on spending within their areas.
Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the public finances. Some €30 billion in direct expenditure supports has been made available across 2020 and 2021 with provision for up to €7 billion in Covid-19 related spending under Budget 2022. This funding allowed Government to introduce a wide range of support schemes and measures in response to the impacts of the pandemic and extend these as necessary. Budget 2022 was prepared in line with the fiscal framework set out in the Summer Economic Statement, which allows us to meet core objectives set out in the Programme for Government of investing in our economy and society to deliver improvements in infrastructure and public services, while reducing the deficit in order to underpin the sustainability of the public finances as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.