Departmental Expenditure.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2009

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Questions (84)

Bernard Allen

Question:

138 Deputy Bernard Allen asked the Taoiseach the amount of money paid by the Office of the Attorney General in respect of official visits abroad and in respect of official business abroad by the holders of the positions of attorney general, director general, including its former title of senior legal assistant and chief parliamentary counsel, including its former title of parliamentary draftsman, for each year since 2000 to 2008 inclusive; and the amount of money paid by the Office of the Attorney General in respect of official business abroad by each lawyer at the equivalent grade of assistant secretary for each year since 2000 to date in 2009. [4658/09]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

In the years 2000 to 2008 and to 9 February 2009 the Office of the Attorney General paid travel and subsistence costs for official business abroad in respect of the Attorney General, the Director General, the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and staff at Assistant Secretary level. Although not specifically requested I also include, for completeness, details of travel and subsistence costs in relation to the positions of First Parliamentary Counsel and Deputy Director General as they are at the same level. The official business included attendance at EU meetings, ECJ hearings, other official legal business meetings, legal conferences and training. Please note that the holders of the position of Attorney General, Chief Parliamentary Counsel and some of the Assistant Secretaries will have changed during the period. Also, on trips where the Attorney General is representing the country at St. Patrick's Day celebrations, the figures shown include costs in respect of an accompanying spouse. The amounts, converted to euro where necessary, are set out in the attached chart.

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Attorney General	14,460.76	20,527.39	17,918.90	7,703.99	16,696.08	7,898.29	17,609.91	5,552.98	21,446.24	1,787.80
Director General	1,477.71	4,203.15	1,985.63	985.74	1,999.64	6,065.33	4,063.46	5,313.16	6,646.44	Nil
Chief Parliamentary Counsel	1,637.28	Nil	2,881.88	3,190.70	8,722.18	6,617.82	6,842.16	9,686.64	6,890.66	Nil
First Parliamentary Counsel	—	—	—	143.55	412.88	178.88	187.63	Nil	Nil	Nil
Deputy Director General	Nil	1,229.94	1,250.00	1,358.09	6,989.05	4,070.28	2,995.74	6,274.59	9,514.53	Nil
Assistant Secretary A	11,870.09	8,622.81	6,755.43	1,093.31	—	3,869.39	2,886.74	Nil	Nil	Nil
Assistant Secretary B	4,259.48	—	1,062.43	4,192.18	Nil	789.20	126.48	7,998.38	5,876.74	Nil
Assistant Secretary C	—	—	5,703.80	6,569.92	3,709.66	2,561.82	1,086.66	1,520.82	2,606.07	Nil
Assistant Secretary D	9,189.76	7,886.23	5,298.21	7,450.18	7,094.66	6,547.08	10,783.21	8,709.17	4,456.46	Nil
Assistant Secretary E	—	3,572.14	13,172.33	7,523.98	4,431.68	1,179.08	1,292.22	1,403.27	2,766.91	Nil
Assistant Secretary F	4,231.59	2,139.11	Nil	558.39	1,230.25	1,374.40	1,495.59	3,882.20	Nil	Nil
Assistant Secretary G	Nil	367.05	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	3,002.95	Nil	Nil	Nil
Assistant Secretary H	635.61	2,170.28	678.71	705.60	4,143.51	2,769.35	1,527.22	2,675.36	592.34	447.54
Assistant Secretary I	7,868.04	3,151.32	4,807.28	4,095.95	5,833.47	Nil	Nil	1,518.71	3,535.23	Nil