Departmental Staff Expenses

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2015

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Questions (312)

Barry Cowen

Question:

312. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the total amount spent in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date 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 the Revenue Commissioners' concerns over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23686/15]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

In response to the Deputy's question, the following table details expenditure on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments in the years from 2011 to 2015:

Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Staff Subsistence Payments	€147,924	€211,882	€280,746	€356,408*	€201,359
Staff Taxi Payments	€3,492	€5,638	€6,983	€12,731*	€9,180

During 2014, over 342 new staff joined my Department with the establishment and further development of Shared Services Offices, the Office of Government Procurement and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer.

The Department's Appropriation Accounts are subject to annual audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Department's accounts are also available for audit by the Revenue Commissioners.

An audit by the Revenue Commissioners is currently in progress and to date no issues in respect of subsistence or benefit-in-kind have been brought to our attention.  The Department is vigilant in the conduct of its activities in these matters to ensure compliance with taxation legislation and Revenue guidelines.