Departmental Budgets

Tuesday, 13 January 2026

Questions (740)

Albert Dolan

Question:

740. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Transport the value of expenditure originally allocated in the Estimates to specific programmes or staffing measures that could not be spent as planned within the year for each of the past five years; and whether such underspends were surrendered, carried forward, or reallocated to other areas within the Vote. [1827/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Transport

My officials are collating the information requested and will issue it to you within 10 working days.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Orders.

To ask the Minister for Transport the value of expenditure originally allocated in the Estimates to specific programmes or staffing measures that could not be spent as planned within the year for each of the past five years; and whether such underspends were surrendered, carried forward, or reallocated to other areas within the Vote.

The information sought regarding the value of expenditure originally allocated to specific programmes or staffing measures, underspends, amounts surrendered, reallocated or carried forward, for each of the past five years is disclosed as part of the annual Appropriation Account for my Department.

The annual Appropriation Account for each Vote is available on the website of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Appropriation Accounts - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/)

Year	Relevant link
2025	Will be available after 30th September 2026
2024	31. Vote 31 - Transport - www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2025/vote-31-transport.pdf
2023	Vote 31 - Transport - www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2024/vote-31-transport.pdf
2022	Vote 31 - Transport - www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2023/vote-31-transport.pdf
2021	Vote 31 - Transport - www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/2022/vote-31-transport.pdf

Programme lines are monitored throughout the year to identify pressures and savings in the Departments vote. Sanction to reallocate savings are obtained from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to alleviate expenditure pressures in other areas in line with Public Financial Procedures when necessary. The Department has also sought a technical supplementary estimate where the reallocation of funds was significant.

The following table shows the initial estimate allocated, the supplementary estimate provided and the surplus to be surrendered for each year. The surplus to be surrendered is the net effect of the actual outturn, appropriations in aid and deferred surrender for each year.

Year	Original Gross Allocation €	Supplementary estimate	Surplus to be surrendered €
2025	€3,919,692m	€342,525	Will be confirmed post audit
2024	€3,573,772m	€147,991	€38.369m
2023	€3,516,269m	€81,468	€27.507m
2022	€3,432,494m	€114,861	€36.795m
2021	€3,535,851m	€91,348	€193,382m

The figure returned each year represents savings from across the Transport Vote.

The following table shows the Capital funds carried into each year in the past five years:

Carryover (€,000)
	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
A.3 Active Travel Infrastructure	17,000		2,000	30,000	14,500
A.4 Greenways	20,000		17,000
B.3 Carbon Reduction	4,650		20,560
B.3 Public Transport Services					2,050
B.4 Public Service Provision Payments	100	350	450	825
B.5 Public Transport Investment	79,500	148,200	75,956	39,000	42,000
C.3 Road Improvement/Maintenance	15,850
C.3 National Roads Investment			9,000
C.4 Regional and Local Roads Investment				34,500
C.5 Vehicle and Driver Licencing Expenses	2,580	4,000	2,340
C.7 EV Grants and Infrastructure				16,350	39,300
D.3 Regional Airports	8,800	7,640	4,900	8,245	8,927
D.5 Aviation Covid Supports		410
E.3 IRCG			5,600	6,000
E.3 Maritime Administration	3,000
E.4 Commissioner of Irish Lights			150
E.4 Miscellaneous Services		500
F.3 Digital HUB				4,000	6,800
F.5 Research Programmes				2,000	1,900
TOTAL	151,480	161,100	137,956	140,920	115,47