61 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Education if she has satisfied herself that she is able to meet the commitments given to date in 1997 from her existing allocation. [12391/97]

The 1997 revised Estimate for the Education group of Votes is £2,110,694,000. It is based on projections of expenditure. Approximately 75 per cent of expenditure on Education will be used for pay and pensions. Most of the remainder will be spent on the capital programme and on demand-led schemes such as capitation grant and third level student support schemes.

The Deputy will be aware that estimating is not an exact science. My Department is closely monitoring the expenditure in 1997 and will be able to ascertain with a high degree of certainty in the early part of the 1997-8 academic year whether there is an over-provision or an under-provision made in the revised Estimates for Education.

However, at this stage of the year, I am satisfied that the level of provision in the Estimates for Education and in Vote 45 — Increases in Remuneration and Pensions, meet the costs of the PCW for the education sector in 1997, will be adequate.