Departmental Staff Allowances

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2015

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Questions (523)

Barry Cowen

Question:

523. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs 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. [23676/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Details of the expenditure incurred by my Department on overseas and home travel and subsistence, including the costs associated with taxi fares, since 2011 are set out in the following table.

Year	Cost	Portion of cost spent on taxi usage
2011	€66,087	€374
2012	€102,002	€5,487
2013	€136,231	€9,282
2014	€78,104	€4,825
2015 to date	€47,462	€4,373

The Deputy might note that claims in respect of travel and subsistence are only paid in respect of costs necessarily incurred in the performance of official duties and are in line with the relevant travel and subsistence circulars as issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and previously by the Department of Finance, particularly Circular 11/82 which sets out the detailed instructions governing the payment of travelling and subsistence allowances.

Expenditure in this regard is examined by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of its annual audit of Departmental expenditure and was also made available for examination by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners as part of its audit of the Department earlier this year.