Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I understand that it is part of our application as regards the BAR, which will be decided on at the end of the project when the money is expended. I imagine, however, that that is just not good budgeting, particularly when we come to the House to look at Estimates for this year and the Minister is telling me his Department knew there would be significant additional expenditure and it was not as part of the Estimates. With a lot of these Estimates, it is very rare that we will look at projections and outturns and they will be exactly bang on. We understand that there will be fluctuations either way. With respect to the Minister, however, I do not think that is a valid reason not to include what is substantial expenditure by the Department which would be known at the start of the year. I make that point from a policy point of view. It is an unfair way to deal with the Estimates.