Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 October 2012
103. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will publish details of all allowances paid to staff in his Department; the business case made by his Department in respect of these allowances to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; the cost of each individual allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41414/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables. Details of the related business cases submitted by my Department to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have been made publicly available on that Department’s website www.per.gov.ie.
Allowances common to more than one Department
|
Allowance
|
Number of recipients (in 2011) |
Estimated total cost per annum |
Taxable Y/N |
|
Child Allowance €2.16 per week per child |
36 |
€6,441 |
Y |
|
Delegates Allowance |
119 |
€141,092 |
Y |
|
Driver (Van) Allowance €52.21 per week PPC rate or €49.58 per week modified rate |
4 |
€10,449 |
Y |
|
Franking Machine Allowance €34.29 per week PPC rate or €32.60 per week modified rate |
6 |
€10,383 |
Y |
|
Key Holder Allowance €35.67 per week PPC rate or €33.91 per week modified rate |
10 |
€14,083 |
Y |
|
Paperkeeper Allowance €54.58 per week PPC rate or €51.84 per week modified rate |
3 |
€8,372 |
Y |
|
Personal to Holder Allowance Payable to former Revenue staff who transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under decentralisation |
11 |
€25,793 |
Y |
|
Private Secretary to Minister Allowance €20,685 per annum PPC rate or €19,653 per annum modified rate |
2.5 |
€51,712 |
Y |
|
Private Secretary to Secretary General Allowance €10,951 per annum PPC rate or €10,405 per annum modified rate |
1 |
€10,951 |
Y |
|
Services Officer Supervisory Allowance (Deputy Head Service Officer) €64.26 per week PPC rate or €61.07 per week modified rate |
4 |
€13,079 |
Y |
|
Shift Allowance (Communications Centre) 1/6th of salary |
3 |
€20,789 |
Y |
|
Shift Allowance (Passport Office Balbriggan Production Facility) 1/6th of salary |
10 |
€60,000 |
Y |
|
Shoe Allowance €60 per annum per Services Officer |
28 |
€1,625 |
N |
|
Switchboard Allowance Paid after 30 hours worked on switchboard €36.09 PPC rate or €34.32 modified rate |
13 |
€7,724 |
Y |
|
Unsocial Hours Allowance €42.18 per week PPC rate or €40.08 per week modified rate |
3 |
€6,471 |
Y |
Personal Pension Contribution (PPC) scales apply where officers were employed since 6 April 1995, pay the class A rate of PRSI and make a personal pension contribution.
Allowances specific to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
|
Allowance
|
Number of recipients |
Estimated total cost per annum |
Taxable Y/N |
|
Consular/Diplomatic Duty Officer Allowance |
1 per week |
€36,826 |
Y |
|
Passport Office Dublin Duty Officer Allowance |
2 per week |
€88,104 |
Y |
|
Passport Office Cork Duty Officer Allowance |
1 per week |
€33,470 |
Y |
|
ICT Unit On Call Allowance |
1 per week |
€40,500 |
Y |
|
Deputy Head of Division Allowance €4,750 per annum |
6 |
€28,500 |
Y |
|
Permanent Representation Brussels On Call Allowance |
1 per week |
€22,000 |
Y |
|
Programme for Competitiveness and Work Allowance 1% of salary |
12 |
€7,651 |
Y |
|
Gratuity for Public Holiday Allowance €100 per Public Holiday or €200 for Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day |
3 each Public Holiday |
€4,200 |
Y |
|
Press Officer Allowance |
1 |
€2,413 |
Y |
|
Chief of Protocol Clothing Allowance |
1 |
Up to €2,000 maximum |
N |
|
Meal Allowance €10 per function per Cleaner |
14 |
€600 |
N |
Allowances paid to officers serving at missions abroad
Foreign Service Allowances are designed to offset the additional costs that arise for officers when they are temporarily posted abroad. These arrangements are common to Foreign Services throughout the world. The system operated by the Department is in line with that used by many other countries and has three main components.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is designed to defray costs associated with living in cities where the cost of living is higher than in Dublin, based on data provided by an independent external consultancy. Because the COLA is linked to salary and notional net take-home pay it has been reduced in line with salary reductions in the civil service and with increases in taxation in recent years.
Local Post Allowance (LPA) provides assistance towards the additional indirect costs arising from the representative role of officers. This allowance, which varies according to marital status and grade, is payable at all locations abroad. Officers serving in designated “hardship” posts may also be entitled to a hardship allowance as part of their LPA. Where payable, this hardship element takes account of factors such as personal security and political tension, health, environmental factors, climate and isolation. Children’s Foreign Allowance (CFA) compensates officers for additional costs incurred with regard to their children aged under 18, or under 21 and in full time education.
|
Allowance |
Number of recipients (excluding staff seconded from other Departments) |
Estimated total cost per annum |
Taxable Y/N
|
|
Cost of Living Allowance |
325 approx at any one time |
€2,394,000 |
N |
|
Local Post Allowance |
as above |
€5,557,000 |
N |
|
Child Foreign Allowance |
Approx 128 officers in respect of 224 children (January 2012) |
€709,000 |
N |
|
Foreign Service Allowance Other |
Approx 16 officers at any one time |
€156,000 |
N |
In addition, the following additional allowances may be paid to officers in particular circumstances, usually in the form of refunds for vouched expenditure or paid directly on behalf of officers:
|
Allowance |
Number of recipients (excluding staff seconded from other Departments) |
Estimated total cost per annum |
Taxable Y/N |
|
Rent Allowance |
265 approx at any one time |
€7,937,000 |
N |
|
Furniture Allowance |
Approx 50 in 2011 |
€97,773 |
N |
|
School Fees Assistance (payable only where local state education is not accessible or of a suitable standard, in order to provide for the child’s Constitutional right to education) |
Approx 46 officers in respect of 76 children (January 2012) |
€1,062,000 |
N |
|
Representational Allowance |
Payable at all Missions in relation to vouched expenditure on official representative or promotional activities - allocated to individual officers at discretion of Head of Mission |
€2,033,000 |
N/A |
|
Health Insurance overseas top-up |
Approx 318 officers and 335 dependents (January 2012) |
€811,000 |
N |
|
Other Medical Expenses |
Approx 50 cases in total in 2011 |
€65,000 |
N |
|
Detention Allowance (payable for a limited period to officers while seeking accommodation on taking up duty abroad) |
Approx 60 officers and families where relevant (2011) |
€140,109 |
N |
|
Disturbance Allowance (to assist officers with the necessary costs associated with return from posting) |
Approx 57 officers and families where relevant (2011) |
€280,237 |
N |
|
Temporary Accommodation costs (payable while officers seek permanent accommodation at posting location abroad) |
Approx 60 cases (2011) |
€284,030 |
N |
