£148.5m expenditure reductions
Fitzgerald sought a tabular breakdown of the proposed 1981 savings and asked about their division between current and capital spending and their employment effects. Bruton supplied the remaining figures, said most savings were on current spending and employment effects would be small, but declined to elaborate beyond the table; he confirmed it contained no reference to education.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will give specific details in tabular form of the proposed expenditure reductions of £148.5m outlined in his Budget statement of 21 July 1981.
Comment on this
In a reply to a Question from Deputy Nolan on 12 November (Question No. 20) I gave details of £19.9 million of the £148.5 million savings referred to in this question. Details in respect of the remaining savings of £128.6 million are, as requested, set out in a tabular statement which I propose to have circulated with the Official Report. Following is the statement:
Comment on this
In each area that the real or imaginary savings take place, is it entirely in current expenditure or is it divided between current and capital? Would the Minister indicate the effect these savings, if real, will have on employment?
Comment on this
As the Deputy very obligingly asked for this information in tabular form in his Question I have supplied it in that form. It is on the record of the House and it would be inappropriate for me to give details in respect of particular parts of the tabular statement which the Deputy sought. The bulk of the savings were on current spending. Looking at them quickly I cannot see any that were not on the current side but that is not a categorical statement.
Comment on this
I am sure the Minister appreciates why I looked for it in tabular form but that does not take away from the Minister the right to reply to my supplementaries. What effect will these real or imaginary cuts have on employment at present and before the year's end?
Comment on this
The effect will be quite small but one can never guarantee that any cut in public expenditure will not have some effect on employment, at least indirectly. This is a problem the Government face at all times when pruning public spending.
Comment on this
I am replying solely to the limited question posed to me by Deputy Fitzgerald and am not in a position to range over all areas of expenditure adjustment. The Deputy asked for a tabular statement in respect of the particular figure. I told Deputy Wilson there is no reference to education in that statement. It would be inappropriate for me to go any further than that. If the Deputy has queries about this he is welcome to put them in the form of a question and I or the relevant Minister will respond.