Departmental Agencies Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016

Friday, 16 September 2016

Questions (405, 406)

Dara Calleary

Question:

405. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of credit cards issued to staff working in each State agency funded by his Department, in tabular form; the number of cards per funded agency; the amount spent by credit card in 2014 and 2015 by each agency; the amount of bank interest paid on credit cards in 2014 and 2015; the controls in place to monitor the issuing of and the expenditure on these cards; the controls in place in each agency to monitor expenditure on personally held credit cards that are subsequently used to recoup work-related expenses; if these controls are being reviewed in view of recent events in agencies funded by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24755/16]

Dara Calleary

Question:

406. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of credit cards issued to staff working in any third party agency funded by his Department, in tabular form; the number of cards per funded agency; the amount spent by credit card in 2014 and 2015 by each agency; the controls in place to monitor the issuing of and the expenditure on these cards; the controls in place in each agency to monitor expenditure on credit cards that are subsequently used to recoup work-related expense; if these controls are being reviewed in view of recent events in agencies funded by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24770/16]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 406 together.

As the information on credit cards sought by the Deputy is not routinely collected, the Department has sought details from each of the 18 State Agencies under its remit. The Department will endeavour to provide the information as soon as possible.

In regard to the the Deputy's question concerning the number of credit cards issued to staff in third party agencies funded by the Department, it is the case that the Department has a wide range of entities which could potentially be encompassed within this question. The Department funds schools, ETBs, Universities, bodies, organisations, Institutes of Education and Higher Education Colleges in addition to other ad hoc organisations and it would place an inordinate administrative burden on the Department to gather and collate this information. If the Deputy has an interest in a particular third party body the Department will endeavour to obtain the information for him.