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The Irish Times

  • Government spending to rise by more than 10% next year

    Government spending will rise by more than 10 per cent next year when Budget day measures are added to the spending Estimates published yesterday. Presenting the Estimates, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen announced an 8.1 per cent increase in State expenditure.

  • Estimates package puts total cost of running the State next year at €54bn

    Overview: Brian Cowen unveiled an Estimates package that will bring the pre-Budget cost of running the State next year to more than €54 billion as the coalition Government faces into its second re-election campaign since coming to power in 1997. The Minister for Finance kept any surprises he may be planning in reserve for his third Budget next month.

  • Cowen cannot be accused of election spending binge

    An untrammelled public sector will need to be reformed if the sums are to add up, writes Marc Coleman, Economics Editor Economic analysis

  • €284m extra for front-line public services

    Minister for Finance Brian Cowen said yesterday that an additional €284 million will be spent on employing front-line public service staff such as doctors, gardaí, teachers and care workers.

  • Parties find lack of accountability

    The Government has been accused of a continuing lack of accountability and failure to carry out value-for-money assessments in its annual Estimates.

  • €1.1bn extra to bring health spend to €14bn

    Harney briefing: There are to be no increases in A&E charges or in medical card eligibility next year, but the cost of private beds in public hospitals is likely to rise, Minister for Health Mary Harney confirmed.

  • The doctor: frustrated over medical cards

    Dr Ronan Boland, a GP working in Blackpool, Cork, says he regularly sees patients who leave it until the last minute to turn up at his surgery because they cannot afford to see a doctor.

  • FG says funding initiatives already announced

    Health reaction: Many of the health services which are to be funded next year under the Estimates and which have been branded as new were in fact announced previously, the Fine Gael health spokesman Dr Liam Twomey claimed last night.

  • Transport and environment to get €6 billion

    Infrastructure: A dramatic increase in spending on public transport has been signalled in the Estimates, which provide for substantial funding for a range of infrastructure projects.

  • The commuter: the 80-mile-a-day man

    David Maguire (36) moved from Drumcondra in Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's constituency in north Dublin, to Navan in Co Meath, eight years ago.

  • Defence funding set to rise above €1bn for first time

    Defence: The Defence estimate has topped €1 billion for the first time and will enable the continuing purchase of major equipment and building and barracks improvement programmes.

  • Hanafin gets largest ever rise in day-to-day spending for schools

    Education: Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has secured the largest ever increase in day-to-day education spending for schools.

  • Cork school struggles to pay its way

    Principal's story: Mitchelstown CBS in Co Cork faces many of the problems which daily confront primary schools - overcrowded classrooms, lack of basic funding and poor accommodation.

  • Allocation for rural development up 4.5%

    Rural affairs: Increased funding for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has been allocated for the Leader rural economy sub-programme and for the Western Development Commission.

  • Farmers see nitrates aid almost doubled

    Agriculture: The allocation to help farmers comply with the controversial nitrates directive has been almost doubled in the Department of Agriculture and Food's 2007 estimate.

  • New dedicated youth service set to get €16m

    Justice: The long-awaited Irish Youth Justice Service is to become operational next year with €16 million having been earmarked for it in the budget Estimates.

  • Employment rights given more support

    Enterprise: A big rise in spending on policing employment rights and increased resources for science, technology and training programmes has been provided for in the Estimates of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

  • Bill falls due to redefined costs

    Use of consultants: A drop in the Government's consultancy bill for 2007 of €37.3 million, or 56 per cent less than 2006, was mostly due to a new definition of consultancy services rather than a drop in spending, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Finance. The two departments affected by the change were the Department of Agriculture and Food, and the Revenue Commissioners.

  • Budget to increase child benefits and pensions

    Social welfare: Next month's Budget will focus on increasing pensions, child benefit payments and social welfare rates, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Séamus Brennan signalled yesterday.

  • Moriarty tribunal bill to jump 24%

    Tribunals: The bill for the Moriarty tribunal is set to jump 24 per cent next year, even though the long-running investigation into payments of politicians is likely to end shortly.

  • Ireland to reach UN target as allocation rises 21%

    Overseas aid: A 21 per cent increase in the overseas aid budget ensures Ireland remains on track to reach United Nations targets for aid spending by 2012.

  • Over 100m for new stadium and campus">

    Sport: The Department of Sport is to spend over €100 million next year on the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road and the development of a new national sports campus at Abbotstown as part of a 29 per cent increase in funding.

  • Investment boost for broadband network

    Communications: Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey predicted that a boost to Government investment in broadband services will help bring forward completion of the State-wide high-speed internet network to the end of 2008.

  • OPW to spend €35m buying sites

    Decentralisation: The Office of Public Works (OPW) is planning to spend around €35 million next year on securing sites and buildings to facilitate the Government's decentralisation programme.

  • Boost for science and research

    Science: State-funded scientific research got a boost with most departments seeing an increase in research related spending.

  • Pledge to provide full drift-net fund

    Marine: The Government will meet its commitment to a "hardship fund" of more than €25 million for salmon drift-net fishermen, although only €10 million of this has been provided for in the Estimates, Minister of State for the Marine John Browne has said.

  • No pain, more gain: Biffo's Subliminal Splurge

    Estimates sketch: They just couldn't resist a spot of pre-election cleverality. When Mr Cowen presented his summary of the Government's spending Estimates yesterday, Fianna Fáil's latest slogan was up in lights on the screen behind him.

  • Interactive children's museum backed

    Arts: Arts funding is holding its own compared to other spending, with increases in many areas signalled in the Estimates, including the promotion of Irish art abroad and the first capital investment for a new interactive children's museum.

  • Garda growth tops Justice plans

    Garda Síochána: The continued expansion of An Garda Síochána and the fight against serious gangland crime are at the top of the agenda for the Department of Justice, according to the 2007 spending plans revealed in the Estimates.

  • Estimates: in brief...

    The allocation for the centenarian's bounty is to rise threefold next year after it was decided all Irish 100-year-olds would qualify for the payment regardless of where they live. Some €1.2 million will be spent on the €2,500-a-head bounty, compared to €430,000 this year.
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Budget speech
TV Archive Watch Minister for Finance Brian Cowen deliver his 2007 Budget speech to the Dáil here