F5[17.— (1) In this section—

"Estimates for Public Services" means the estimates of expenditure in relation to supply grants and appropriations-in-aid in respect of supply services for a financial year prepared by the Minister in the performance of functions transferred to the Minister by section 8(1) and submitted by the Government to Dáil Éireann for approval;

"Government expenditure" means the sum of expenditure which is met out of—

(a) money supplied out of supply grants and appropriations-in-aid in respect of supply services,

(b) money paid out of the Social Insurance Fund, and

(c) money paid out of the National Training Fund,

consolidated within and between each of the categories specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c).

(2) Each financial year the Government shall, upon a proposal of the Minister for Finance, make a decision approving an upper limit on the amount of Government expenditure (in this section referred to as the "Government expenditure ceiling") for each of the 3 financial years immediately following the first-mentioned financial year.

(3) Where the Government have made a decision under subsection (2) or this subsection, they may, upon a proposal of the Minister for Finance, make a further decision approving an upper limit on the amount of Government expenditure that is greater or less than the Government expenditure ceiling (in this section referred to as the "revised Government expenditure ceiling"), for any one or more of the financial years concerned.

(4) The Minister for Finance shall consult with the Minister in relation to a proposal referred to in subsection (2) and a proposal referred to in subsection (3).

(5) The Minister for Finance shall, on behalf of the Government, inform Dáil Éireann of a decision under subsection (2) or (3) as soon as may be after the decision is made.

(6) Subject to the Government expenditure ceiling or revised Government expenditure ceiling, as the case may be, each financial year the Government shall, upon a proposal of the Minister, make a decision approving the amount of Government expenditure to be apportioned to the area of responsibility of each Minister of the Government (referred to in this section as a "Ministerial expenditure ceiling") for each of the 3 financial years concerned.

(7) Subject to the Government expenditure ceiling or revised Government expenditure ceiling, as the case may be, where the Government have made a decision under subsection (6) or this subsection, they may, upon a proposal of the Minister, make a further decision revising any Ministerial expenditure ceiling for any one or more of the financial years concerned.

(8) The Minister shall, on behalf of the Government, inform Dáil Éireann of a decision under subsection (6) or (7) as soon as may be after the decision is made.

(9) The aggregate of—

(a) the Estimates for Public Services for a financial year, and

(b) the estimates of the amount of expenditure in that financial year to be met out of money paid out of the Social Insurance Fund and the National Training Fund,

shall not exceed the Government expenditure ceiling or the revised Government expenditure ceiling, as the case may be, for that financial year.

(10) The Minister for Finance may make recommendations to the Minister as respects the proportion of the Government expenditure ceiling or revised Government expenditure ceiling, as the case may be, that, having regard to fiscal and economic conditions, the Minister for Finance considers should be applied to meet—

(a) current expenditure requirements, and

(b) capital expenditure requirements.]