Section B – The Financial Framework - Government Accounting

B1.2 – Government Expenditure
25.Departments should ensure that adequate systems of control
are maintained over all of their assets, including those not
included in the assets register.
Public Capital Programme
26. The Public Capital Programme (PCP) is published annually by
the Department of Finance. It provides details of the planned
investment programmes, including their financing, of
Government Departments, Local Authorities and State bodies
for the year and reviews the previous year’s performance.
Non-Programme Outlays
27. Certain items of capital expenditure are not included in the
Public Capital Programme because they do not represent
investment in the creation of assets (e.g. payments to meet the
closure costs or to reduce the borrowings of State-sponsored
bodies). These payments are known as Non-Programme
Outlays (NPOs). Payments on foot of capital expenditure
funded by the Exchequer are made under specific statutes.
Monitoring and Control
28. Departments and Offices must monitor and manage their
expenditure within the allocations approved by the Dáil. They
are required to submit a profile of post-Budget expenditure by
month to the Department of Finance for approval, showing
how they propose to disburse funds over each spending area
for the year. Profiles are required for supply services
expenditure, both non-capital and capital, and for Exchequer
capital issues under various statutes. Returns of actual and
forecast expenditure, including explanations of variations from
profile, must then be submitted on a monthly basis to the
Department of Finance.
29. The monthly returns must present a realistic view of the
outlook for Departments’ spending, including all likely
excesses and savings emerging. If spending begins to run over
PFP 11/08