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The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, today (Wednesday) published the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2021 (REV). The REV was presented to the Dáil today and has been referred by the Dáil to the Select Committees for consideration.

The REV provides additional details and information in relation to the allocations contained in the 2021 Budget Estimates, which were set out in the Expenditure Report 2021 published on Budget Day, 13th October 2020. The REV also gives summary detail in respect of the forecast outturn for spending in 2020.

The Government Expenditure Ceiling published on Budget day was €87,815 million. Of this amount €82,215 million was allocated in the Budget Estimates, with €3.4 billion held in the Recovery Fund, €2.1 billion in the Covid-19 Contingency Reserve, €50 million in unallocated capital and €50 million in the Share Island Fund.

The REV includes adjustments to planned Departmental expenditure compared to the Budget Estimates. These include technical adjustments reflecting transfers of responsibilities for certain expenditure programmes. In addition there are some reallocations from the Covid-19 contingency reserve and unallocated capital amount. In aggregate, these reallocations of €148 million bring the overall amount allocated in the REV to €82,363 million, with the overall Government Expenditure Ceiling remaining unchanged from Budget day.

These adjustments to the Departmental allocations include:

• the reallocation of €48 million from the Contingency Reserve to provide for Covid-19 related measures for the aviation programme in the Department of Transport;
• just under €77 million provided from the Contingency Reserve to meet additional costs for school transport in the Department of Education;
• arising from the funding shortfall due to Covid-19, once-off capital funding is being provided through the OPW Vote to support capital works in Dublin Zoo (€2 million) and Fota Wildlife Park (€1 million);
• additional capital funding of €13 million for the Department of Health for Brexit related infrastructure.

As in previous years, the REV also includes performance information, which provides details on the public service outputs and outcomes that are being delivered with public funds and include indicators relating to equality objectives for a number of Departments. The inclusion of these equality indicators seeks to integrate equality concerns into the budgetary process. The REV includes equality indicators for a number of Votes across twelve Ministerial Vote Groups, with additional Departments providing indicators in REV 2021 including Housing and Agriculture. Minister McGrath commented, “The publication of the Revised Estimates Volume is the next step in what is an unprecedented provision of resources by the State to meet the immediate challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit, and continues the process of investing in vital public services. While maintaining the overall expenditure ceiling announced on Budget Day, we have been in a position to allocate additional resources from the Contingency Reserve for vital COVID-19 related expenditure. In addition, 2021 will see also a record level of expenditure on capital projects which will underpin the economic recovery and improve the quality of life for the public. I am acutely aware of the need for the State to focus on a broader range of measures of progress and well-being. The process of Equality Budgeting in Ireland has advanced significantly in recent years with a view to improving the role of resource allocation policies in advancing equality, reducing poverty and strengthening economic and social rights and the REV contains important information highlighting the progress we are making in this regard.”