The average number of days taken by my Department to process payments to outside contractors for each year from 2004 to date in 2008 (end of April) is detailed in the table below.
This information is based on payments made in respect of Departmental expenditure and, in addition, payments processed on behalf of the following bodies which are funded from the Department's Vote: National Forum on Europe, Ireland Newfoundland Partnership, Active Citizenship Office, Tribunal of Inquiry (Moriarty) and National Economic and Social Development Office (up to the end of December 2006).
Payments processed by Department of the Taoiseach
Year
|
Average time for payment*
|
2004
|
47.9
|
2005
|
45.1
|
2006
|
30.5
|
2007
|
21.2
|
2008 (end of April)
|
23.5
|
*The above details are based on the average number of days between date of invoice and date of payment by this Department.
In relation to the Law Reform Commission and the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) (from January 2007), I can confirm that both agencies process all payments to outside contractors within a 10 day period.
In relation to the Central Statistics Office, it is their policy to settle all invoices promptly with due regard to contractual terms, where applicable, to good financial and cash management practices and the provisions of the Prompt Payments Act, 1997 as amended by the European Communities (Late Payment in Commercial Transactions) Regulations, 2002. In addition to compliance with the terms of the above legislation, there is an obligation on the CSO to take advantage of the available credit terms. The Office's Financial Management System monitors compliance with late payment legislation but it is not possible to extract average times for payment that are made within the thirty day deadline.