Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 November 2023

Wednesday, 29 November 2023

Questions (60)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

60. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the amount paid in late payment interest payments for goods and services provided to her Department in each of the years from 2016 to date in 2023; and separately, the top five highest late interest payments made in each of those years, and the service and goods supplier that received the payments, in tabular form. [52643/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Prompt Payment Act 1997, and later the SI 580 2012 European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations 2012, my Department is required to pay Prompt Payment Interest on valid invoices that are not processed within 30 days. The Department applies a daily interest rate (which is the ECB rate of plus the margin of 8%), followed by a compensating amount based on the value of the invoice, as follows: Invoice Amount not exceeding €1,000 - Compensation of €40; Invoice Amount exceeding €1,000 but not exceeding €10,000 - Compensation of €70; and Invoice Amount exceeding €10,000 - Compensation of €100.

My Department monitors these payments to ensure that they are paid as promptly as possible and to reduce the possibility of Prompt Payment Interest and associated compensation being applied.

At present my Department provides a financial shared service to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (D/FHERIS). From January 2020 to March 2021 all published Prompt Payment returns for the Department of Education and D/FHERIS were reported under the Department of Education. This was due to the establishment of D/FHERIS during 2020 and the requirement for both Departments to use a common financial management system until the system was updated. Following the successful update to the financial management system, from April 2021 onwards, the system is able to fully separate out the Prompt Payment returns between the two Departments.

All Prompt Payment amounts are published each quarter and can be found here – www.gov.ie/en/collection/396d1d-prompt-payment-returns/.

The following is a summary by year of the costs included in the published reports since 2016.

• 2016: €3,017

• 2017: €4,137

• 2018: €5,014

• 2019: €7,552

• 2020: €7,270

• 2021: €21,143

• 2022: €9,194

• 2023: €12,491 (Jan-Sep)

The following is a summary of the top five highest late interest payment made in each of these years and the service and goods supplier that received the payments:

2016
Supplier	Amount
CSM PPP SERVICES LTD	1,005.22
FOCUS EDUCATION (NMC) LIMITED	653.65
CAREY MURPHY & PARTNERS	206.87
DUBLIN BUS	149.84
HOPE AUTISM CARE CENTRE LIMITED	120.65

2017
Supplier	Amount
GLASGIVEN CONTRACTS LIMITED	838.87
ESB NETWORKS	230.25
ESB NETWORKS	192.99
MEDIAVEST LTD	161.65
XDOX LIMITED	133.81

2018
Supplier	Amount
CASTLETHORN CONSTRUCTION	403.29
GREYSTONES RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB	359.90
INSTASPACE LIMITED	182.43
VAN DIJK ARCHITECTS LTD	180.34
MCGAHON SURVEYORS LTD	159.21

2019
Supplier	Amount
JONIX EDUCATIONAL SERVICES	236.10
CAIRN HOMES PROPERTIES LIMITED	949.21
CAIRN HOMES PROPERTIES LIMITED	949.21
HOPE AUTISM CARE CENTRE LIMITED	224.46
BROTHERS OF CHARITY SERVICES ROSCOMMON*19235	624.59

2020
Supplier	Amount
MEDMARK LTD	472.32
THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN IRELAND	374.49
SPECTRUM LIFE	292.46
SPECTRUM LIFE	258.92
FIONNUALA NI MHUIRI	178.35

2021
Supplier	Amount
KSN PROJECT MANAGEMENT*22040	3,197.62
INSTASPACE LIMITED	1,283.01
ERNST AND YOUNG	609.90
EXTRASPACE	578.96
CABINPAC LIMITED	508.86

2022
Supplier	Amount
COADY PARTNERSHIP ARCHITECTS	165.71
CORE INTERNATIONAL	108.74
MICROMAIL	112.54
HIBERNIA EVROS TECHNOLOGY GROUP	158.94
ITEXT SOFTWARE BVBA	151.19

2023 to Sept
Supplier	Amount
INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION	267.42
ALL EVENT PRODUCTIONS LTD	196.70
ELECTRIC IRELAND	614.05
STEALTH TRANSLATIONS LTD	614.70
VERSION 1	340.68