€1bn in Government under-spend

UNDER-SPENDING by Government departments totalled almost €1 billion last year, the country’s chief financial watchdog has found.

The annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, John Purcell, shows all 15 departments and 24 State agencies and public bodies had money left over from their allocated budgets at the end of last year, which was not allocated to services under their responsibility.

The Department of the Environment had €70.7 million left over from its local authority and social housing programme, while the Department of Transport had €97m left in its road improvement and maintenance kitty.