2.13 Contingent liabilities

The Department is involved in 12 legal cases. The Department cannot

Note 3 Vote Expenditure

Analysis of administration expenditure Administration expenditure set out below has been apportioned across the programmes, to present complete programme costings. 2023

Outturn

€000 Salaries, wages and allowances 42,387 ii Travel and subsistence 1,402 iii Training, development and incidental expenses

3,931

iv Postal and telecommunications services 367 v Office equipment and external IT services 3,974 vi Office premises expenses 1,812 vii Consultancy services and value for money and policy reviews

503

54,376

Significant variations The following outlines the reasons for significant variations in expenditure from the amount provided (+/- 25% and €100,000). iii Training and development and incidental expenses Estimate provision €1.6 million; outturn €3.9 million The increase in expenditure of €2.3 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to an increase in advertising spend during the year attributable to the active travel campaign - Your Journey Counts (€2.0 million) with the remaining variance attributed primarily to an increase in training due to a higher staff complement (€0.4 million) and legal settlements (€0.1 million).

v Office equipment and external IT services Estimate provision €2.1 million; outturn €4.0 million

The increase in expenditure of €1.9 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to additional digital modernisation and reform related support. vi Office premises expenses Estimate provision €1.2 million; outturn €1.8 million The increase in expenditure of €0.6 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to unanticipated gas and electricity cost increases. vii Consultancy services and value for money and policy reviews Estimate provision €1.0 million; outturn €0.5 million The reduction in expenditure of €0.5 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to projects being deferred to 2024 due to project reprioritisation and procurement delays.

Appropriation Account 2023

Programme A Sustainable mobility – active travel and greenways

Estimate provision Outturn €000 Administration – pay 868 Administration − non pay 147 Active travel infrastructure Original 297,650 Deferred surrender 2,000 Supplementary 50,000 349,650 349,818 Greenways Original 60,000 Deferred surrender 17,000

77,000

427,665 400,888

Significant variations The following outlines the reasons for significant variations in non-administration programme expenditure (+/-5% and €100,000).

Active travel infrastructure Estimate provision €299.7 million; outturn €349.8 million The increase in expenditure of €50.1 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to a greater number of National Transport Authority (NTA) infrastructure projects (walking and cycling) progressing to construction/ completion than was originally forecast for the year coupled with construction cost inflation. A re-allocation of €50 million in a technical supplementary from subhead B.5 Public transport to subhead A.3 was approved to meet expenditure on active travel projects. Greenways Estimate provision €77.0 million; outturn €50.0 million The reduction in expenditure of €27 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 an underspend by Donegal County Council on the Northwest Greenway (€2.6 million)

 contingency funding provision not required by Louth County Council (€5 million)

 Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) project delays in the planning process and land acquisition (€14 million)

 contingency funding to cover potential clawback arising from the withdrawal of the Ulster Canal Greenway project from the INTERREG programme not required (€1.3 million)

 underspend on Greenways monitoring programme, project liaison officer costs and content creation campaign (€4.1 million).

Programme B Sustainable mobility – carbon reduction and public

Estimate provision €000 Administration − pay Administration − non pay Carbon reduction Original 114,772 Deferred surrender 20,560

135,332 Public service provision

Original 563,774 Deferred surrender 450 Supplementary 60,900 625,124 Public transport

Estimate provision 876,504 Deferred surrender 75,956 Supplementary (68,600)

883,860 Public transport agencies

Miscellaneous services

1,696,549

Significant variations The following outlines the reasons for significant variations in non-administration programme expenditure (+/-5% and €100,000).

Carbon reduction Estimate provision €135.3 million; outturn €114.2 million The reduction in expenditure of €21.1 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to procurement and drawdown delays in low emission vehicle (LEV) infrastructure (€10.3 million) and climate research programmes (€2.4

LEV delivery delays resulting in LEV grants not drawn down (€7.3

over allocation to SEAI administrative expenses (€0.9 million).

Appropriation Account 2023

Public service provision payments Estimate provision €564.2 million; outturn €607.7 million The net overspend in expenditure amounting to €43.5 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 €57.4 million additional funding required to bridge the gap between the gross cost of operating the PSO programme and passenger fare revenues, due to various public transport fare initiatives (Young Adult Card (YAC), 20% average fare reduction and 90-minute fare), the continued migration from cash fares to leap cards, and higher operating costs. A supplementary was approved for this subhead.

 Additional rural transport services required to meet the unpredictable influx of Ukrainian refugees (€3.2 million). A supplementary was approved for this subhead.

 Savings in Rural Transport Programme (RTP) as a result of tendering process delays in the NTA IT Management System (ITMS) and EU Transition Fund project implementation plans not being approved by the European Commission (€1.0 million).

 Savings due to the delays in the Irish Rail planned heavy rail maintenance projects as a result of delays in planned improvement works (€2.8 million).

 Savings in new PSO routes and route variations due to the delayed BusConnects phases as a result of bus driver shortages and recruitment challenges (€13 million).

 Savings due to delays in the rollout of Connecting Ireland and new town services (€0.4 million).

Public transport investment Estimate provision €952.5 million; outturn €835.3 million. The reduction in expenditure of €117.2 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 An underspend in heavy rail safety and development and public transport infrastructure due to planning and procurement delays including

railway station redevelopments, Galway Ceannt and o Limerick Colbert (€10 million) delays in awarding signaling contract as part of Cork Area o Commuter Rail (€18 million) new Greater Dublin Area (GDA) Railway Station o Programme, which includes projects such as construction of Woodbrook station and work to open Kishoge station New GDA Railway Station (€5 million) Limerick Rail Upgrade Programme, which includes planning o and construction of Moyross station and twin tracking from Limerick-to-Limerick junction (€1 million) €2.5m on the Connolly valeting plant upgrades and depot o refurbishment project NTA office move delayed until 2024 (€11 million) o BusConnects depot programme, including the BusConnects o Dublin depot electrification programme (€10 million) Core Bus Corridor construction postponed until 2024 (€13 o million) Various country wide park and ride programmes (€6 million). o

 An underspend in public transport investment due to fleet delivery delays including

purchase of 41 new Inter-City railcars (€3.7 million) o BusConnects (€6 million) and BusConnects Urban fleet (€26 o million) Regional commuter fleet renewals and non-city urban buses o (€25 million) Hydrogen buses (€1 million) o  An overspend of €15 million due to a second milestone payment for the Dart+ programme. Public transport agencies expenses

Estimate provision €46.6 million; outturn €38.9 million The difference in expenditure of €7.7 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 NTA payroll savings due to a revised recruitment plan, ongoing staff turnover and backfilling of staff at lower entry scales (€3.1 million)

 savings on legal and professional fees and activities, and savings in licencing support costs due to delays in on-boarding call centre and back-office staff (€4.6 million).

Appropriation Account 2023

Programme C Road networks and road safety

Estimate provision €000 Administration − pay Administration − non pay National roads investment Original 678,168 Deferred surrender 9,000

687,168 Regional and local roads Original 625,916 Supplementary 18,600

644,516 Transport Infrastructure Ireland operational costs

Road safety agencies and

Vehicle and driver licensing Original 23,400 Deferred surrender 2,340 Supplementary 15,635

1,432,628

Significant variations The following outlines the reasons for significant variations in non-administration programme expenditure (+/-5% and €100,000). Road safety agencies and expenses

Estimate provision €8.3 million; outturn €7.7 million

The reduction in expenditure of €0.6 million relative to the original estimate is due to lower than forecast spending in the Medical Bureau of Road Safety due to

payroll savings due to staff retention challenges and unfilled vacancies (€0.3 million)

savings in consumable stocks due to sufficient levels of 2022 carryover stocks (€0.2 million)

repair savings in replacement instruments still under warranty (€0.1

Vehicle and driver licensing expenses Estimate provision €25.7 million; outturn €42.5 million The net increase in expenditure of €16.8 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 an overspend of €2 million due to increased administration cost such as increase bank charges, postage and stationery cost

 payments made to licensed road haulage operators under the Licensed Haulage Support Scheme of €15.6 million

 savings of €0.9 million between profiled and actual expenditure on the Road Transport Operator Licensing online system as a result of milestones not being met due to development complexities. A supplementary of €15.6 million was approved for this subhead for the Licensed Haulage Support Scheme. As the scheme was introduced after the estimates process had been completed, it was not included in the profile.

Programme D Civil aviation

Estimate provision Outturn €000 €000 Administration − pay 4,786 Administration − non pay 838 Regional airports Original 27,648 Deferred surrender 4,900

32,548 20,121 Miscellaneous services 11,171 10,502 Aviation Covid supports 9,000 58,343 43,990

Significant variations The following outlines the reasons for significant variations in non-administration programme expenditure (+/-5% and €100,000).

Regional airports Estimate provision €32.5 million; outturn €20.1 million The reduction in expenditure of €12.4 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 estimated expenditure not incurred on the Cork Airport Cat 3 security screening project, awaiting assessment in accordance with the Public Spending Code (€6.0 million)

 regional airports programmes not fully completed in 2023, mainly due to case design delays, as well as supply chain difficulties impacting delivery timelines (€2.4 million)

 the Shannon Heritage business operation together with the heritage sites in County Clare being transferred to Clare County Council in May 2023 (€4.0 million).

Appropriation Account 2023

Miscellaneous services Estimate provision €11.2 million; outturn €10.5 million The reduction in expenditure of €0.7 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to lower than estimated reimbursements to the Irish Navigation Services (AirNav Ireland) for the cost of aeronautical communication and air navigation services provided. Aviation Covid supports Estimate provision €9.0 million; outturn €7.4 million The reduction in expenditure of €1.6 million relative to the original estimate is primarily due to

 fewer than expected insolvency claims by the licensed trade sector under the Travel Agents and Tour Operators Scheme (€0.8 million)

 savings due to the level of actual operational costs supported at Shannon Airport being limited to the same level of operational supports provided to other regional airports, ensuring proportionality of funding, as required under the Regional Airports Programme (€0.8 million).

Programme E Maritime transport and safety

Estimate provision Outturn

€000 €000

Administration − pay 19,576 19,074 Administration − non pay 3,343 Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) Original 78,755 Deferred surrender 5,600 Supplementary 4,933 89,288 82,412 Commissioner of Irish Lights Estimate provision 6,268 Deferred surrender 150 6,418 Marine Casualty Investigation 732 Marine Survey Office and maritime transport

61

Miscellaneous services 1,090

120,508 114,898

Significant variations The following outlines the reasons for significant variations in non-administration programme expenditure (+/-5% and €100,000).

Marine Casualty Investigation Estimate provision €732,000 outturn €435,000 The reduction in expenditure of €297,000 results from costs not incurred due to a delay in legislation providing for the establishment of a new Marine Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU).

Note 4 Receipts