Departmental Staff Expenses

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2014

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Questions (294)

Niall Collins

Question:

294. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form the total amount spent per annum from 2011 to 2013, inclusive, and to date in 2014 on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments; if his Department has been audited for tax compliance on these payments and other benefits-in-kind; if these processes have been revised in view of concerns by the Revenue Commissioners over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25820/14]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The following table details the total annual spend on  staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments for the years 2011 to 2013, inclusive, and to date in 2014.

Year	2011	2012	2013	To date 2014
Staff Subsistence Payments	147,923.94	211,881.60	280,746.09	83,511.66
Staff Taxi Payments	3,492.06	5,638.27	6,983.41	1,777.27

In addition, the Department has a contracted taxi service and the payments to that company in respect of usage of the service over the years in question are set out in the following table. An element of the cost relates to administration charges for the taxi company.

2011	2012	2013	To date 2014
102.96	3,779.17	6,257.82	3,290.63

A Revenue audit of my Department is currently in progress. As is usual, that audit is looking at all of the relevant payments that the Department makes. My Department and the Department of Finance which provides payment services on an agency basis for my Department is concerned at all times to abide by taxation legislation and Revenue guidelines.