Ministerial Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 July 2012

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

Questions (148)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

147 Deputy Patrick O’Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection the amounts spent by previous Ministers and Ministers of State within her Department on subsistence, mobile phone communications and recouped expenses, with indications given to the portion that are both vouched and unvouched for each year from 1 January 2007 to 9 March 2011 inclusive; the extent of such expenditure that was discharged directly by her Department on behalf of the Minister concerned; the extent to which the expenditure was discharged by credit card directly by or on behalf of the Minister involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35509/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton)

The amounts spent by previous Ministers of my Department on subsistence, mobile phone communications and recouped expenses are set out in the following table:

	Amount (€)
	2007	2008	2009	2010	1/1/2011 to 9/3/2011	Totals:
Subsistence	470	1,300	253	291	0	2,314
Mobile Phone Communications	2,617	3,556	3,468	2,232	322	12,195
*Unvouched Expenses Allowance	13,388	12,904	12,804	3,220	0	42,316

*These payments were discontinued on 1/4/2010.

There were no recouped expenses claimed during this period.

The subsistence amount of €2,314 is an unvouched expense and is for payments in respect of overnights, ten hour and five hour daily allowances. None of the charges concerned were incurred using a credit card. The €12,195 for mobile phone communications is a vouched expense. The subsistence and mobile phone communications amounts were all discharged directly by my Department.