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Department of Defence says levy to offset education overspend will put ‘significant’ pressure on military transformation programme
Department of Defence says levy to offset education overspend will put ‘significant’ pressure on military transformation programme PAC chairman John Brady blamed the levy on 'the failure of the Government's initial budgeting process'.
Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Timesare among the State agencies and bodies that will lose out on funding due to a Government levy aimed at offsetting increased spending in the The Coalition earlier this year agreed to put in place a levy of €466 million across all Government departments to offset the overrun. , in its response, is understood to be the first to provide a breakdown on where savings – €5 million in its case – will be made.
Irishman in Lapland: ‘I bought a house for €32,000. It’s a magic place to live’ It said it proposed to earmark savings and efficiencies to the value of €3,832,550 in its own spending, while Uisce Éireann is being asked to generate about €1.038 million. The department said it “expects to absorb these reductions through continued implementation in 2027 of its programme of efficiencies and reforms”.
The department said it had not been possible to bring about a reduction of €8 million on its current expenditure allocation for next year under the levy by means of efficiencies and reform measures alone.said the €12 million levy on its current expenditure for next year could be managed in the short term through reprioritisation and expenditure controls. However, it said this would create “significant additional pressure on the implementation of the Commission on the Defence Forces transformation programme and will reduce flexibility to address any emerging or unforeseen operational exigencies”.
“It should also be noted that as capital investment in equipment, infrastructure and capabilities increases, so too do the recurring costs of operating, maintaining and sustaining those assets. Consequently, this makes reductions in current funding more challenging when measured against recent and planned capital investment.
”However, the Department of Defence said that “given the priority assigned to recruitment of additional Defence Forces members, has proposed to accommodate the €12 million levy on the non-pay current expenditure subheadings of the 2027 Defence vote”.said the levy was “the result of the failure of the Government’s initial budgeting process, which left the Department of Education short of the funding needed to deliver vital services”.
“We now learn that, as a result of this Government failure, other departments are having their plans disrupted and are scrambling to find cuts. This is no way to do business,” he said.
“Of particular concern is the reference by the Department of Defence to significant additional pressure on the implementation of the Commission on the Defence Forces’ transformation programme. ”Catherine Connolly starts four-day visit to ScotlandOver-70s urged to check eligibility for energy costs payment from StateThe Irish Times view on housing delivery: speed is of the essenceIrish borrowing costs hit bailout-era highs as investors up bets on rate hikes Our politics team's behind-the-scenes take on events of the day. Sent Monday to Friday when the Dáil is in session
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