Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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510.To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for a breakdown of the expenditure from the contingency reserve assigned for temporary protection and international protection related expenditure in each of the years 2025 to 2027, in tabular form. [33375/24]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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While we operate in an uncertain international environment with wars in Ukraine, Middle East and Africa, and deal with certain legacy impacts of the pandemic, it is appropriate to maintain a contingency reserve within the overall expenditure amounts across the years 2025 to 2030 in line with what was previously set out in the Stability Programme Update (SPU).

In Budget 2024 a sum of €4.5bn was allocated for non-core items that are now aligned with the contingency reserve. These reflect costs that driven by external developments or additional EU funded projects that must be taken account of in the expenditure ceiling. The allocation in 2024 covered pressures such as our humanitarian response to the arrivals fleeing war in Ukraine (€2.5bn), legacy Covid issues (€1.3bn) mainly in the Health area, EU funding related projects (€0.35bn) primarily under the EU National Recovery and Resilience Plan and certain other payments including under the Mother and Baby Home payment scheme.

The €4.5 billion provision outlined for the contingency reserve in the SPU will be fully utilised in 2025 in meeting current and capital needs, primarily across Health (and is included in the overall 2025 Health allocation set out in the SES), Ukraine and IPAS related costs. This will also provide for allocations related to certain EU funded programmes, broadly in line with this year’s amounts, and smaller demands across a limited number of other areas. In relation to the balance of the contingency reserve, it is expected that savings in expenditure in relation to Covid and other items funded within the overall amount for this year will arise and will be utilised to offset pressures on international protection expenditure.

The final amounts in relation to each area to be funded from the contingency reserve in 2025 will be determined as part of the estimates process. In advance of this it is not possible to disaggregate funding by programme type. Any allocations made will be included in the Estimates or Revised Estimate publications as appropriate.

The requirements in relation to expenditure in future years to be funded from the contingency reserve will be considered on an annual basis as part of the whole year budgetary process taking into account, in particular, developments in the international environment.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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511.To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for a breakdown of core expenditure allocated to the Department of Children; Equality; Disability; Integration and Youth for temporary protection and international protection related expenditure in each of the years 2025 to 2029, in tabular form. [33376/24]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The 2024 Summer Economic Statement (SES) was published on July 9th. The SES sets out the Government’s medium-term budgetary strategy and outlines the fiscal parameters within which discussions will take place ahead of Budget 2025 in planning the fiscal and budgetary response for 2025.

An overall package of €8.3 billion is being made available, which will result in voted expenditure growth of 6.9 per cent. The package is composed of additional public spending amounting to €6.9 billion and taxation measures amounting to €1.4 billion. €90.9 billion is being provided for current expenditure, while €14.5 billion is being provided for capital expenditure under the Government’s National Development Plan.

Of the €6.9 billion expenditure growth, €5.1 billion is attributed to the costs of covering Existing Level of Service (ELS) requirements and increased capital spending in 2025. The remaining €1.8 billion will be subject to new measure announcements as part of the Budget 2025 package.

The distribution of funding across departments and policy areas will be determined as part of the Estimates process. In advance of this it is not possible to disaggregate funding by programme type. Any allocations made will be included in the Estimates or Revised Estimate publications as appropriate. The requirements in relation to expenditure for specific departments or policy areas in future years will be considered on an annual basis as part of the Estimates process.