Public services to get extra €205m

An extra €205 million has been allocated to various Government departments for public services and capital programmes in the…

An extra €205 million has been allocated to various Government departments for public services and capital programmes in the revised estimates for 2007.

Under the estimates, published yesterday, the Department of Health gets an extra €51 million of which €25 million will go towards offsetting increased Early Childcare Payments and €10 million goes to the State Claims Agency.

Almost €8 million goes to the Department of Justice to cover pay costs associated with increased civilisation of the Garda, while €8.3 million goes to cover the cost of accommodation for the new Garda Ombudsman Commission and the Law Reform Commission.

The allocation to the Department of Education and Science is to be increased by €13.7 million to cover increased teachers pensions, temporary school accommodation and support for the Mitchell Scholarship programmes. An extra €10 million has been provided for transport including Road Safety Authority projects.

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A sum of €25 million is to go to the Department of Agriculture to meet increased demand under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme while €10 million goes to the Department of Community and Rural Affairs to improve resources for the anti-drugs strategy and for the PEACE programme. The revised estimates also include additional spending of €56.15 million from the Dormant Accounts funds across a range of departments.