Vol. 471 No. 2
144 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the arrangements, if any, which were entered into with the former acting chief executive officer of Westmeath vocational education committee in respect of travel and expenses from his residence in Dublin to the offices of Westmeath vocational education committee in Mullingar. [20618/96]
Following the early retirement of the acting chief executive officer of County Westmeath vocational education committee on 24 May 1995, I concluded that exceptional measures, of a short-term nature, were necessary to secure the committee's financial position and to address the grave management deficiencies previously identified in the vocational education committee's affairs.
To this end, the acting chief executive officer of County Dublin vocational education committee was seconded to County Westmeath vocational education committee. This secondment arrangement operated from 30 May 1995 to 31 August 1995 at which time the officer in question retired from the service of County Dublin vocational education committee. During the period of the secondment the payment of travel and subsistence expenses was approved under the current arrangements governing the payment of such expenses. As the officer was on secondment his headquarters was deemed to be Dublin.
With effect from 1 September 1995 when he retired as acting chief executive officer of County Dublin vocational education committee, revised arrangements for the payment of travel and subsistence expenses were sanctioned by my Department with the approval of the Department of Finance. These arrangements included provision for the payment of travelling expenses in respect of the one return journey per week made by the officer from his home in Dublin to his place of work in Mullingar and the payment of subsistence expenses at approved rates in respect of overnights in Mullingar. These arrangements continued until the officer retired on the completion of his term of office on 31 August 1996.
