Local Authority Staff

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

Ceisteanna (441)

Sean Fleming

Ceist:

454 Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a list of all allowances and the payment rates of those allowances paid to staff in his Department that are subject to income tax and the list of allowances and the payment rates paid to staff that are not subject to income tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31962/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Deputy Phil Hogan)

Information in relation to expenditure on allowances in 2011 is outlined in the following table.

	Taxable Allowances	No. of Beneficiaries in 2011	Total Expenditure in 2011
1.	Shift Allowance	168	€1,815,964
2.	Public Holiday allowance	98	€316,564
3.	Private Secretary allowance	10	€103,574
4.	Foreign Delegates allowance	42	€73,487
5.	Higher Duty allowance	6	€33,152
6.	Allowance Personal to Holder/Tax Officer allowance	13	€31,072
7.	Keyholder’s allowance	14	€23,772
8.	PCW allowance	8	€16,732
9.	Special Duty allowance	6	€12,143
10.	Franking Machine allowance	9	€9,780
11.	Assistant Head Services Officer	3	€9,228
12.	Met Station Officer in Charge allowance	3	€7,956
13.	Children’s Allowance	28	€3,572
14.	Duplicating room allowance	2	€3,501
15.	Driving Allowance	1	€1,324
	Non-taxable allowances	No. of Beneficiaries in 2011	Total Expenditure in 2011
16,	Office Accommodation	22	€38,797
17.	Eating on site allowance	2	€988

It is not practical to list actual rates for each allowance due to the many variable factors involved including date staff recruited, precise nature of duties undertaken, points on payscales, etc.

All allowances are subject to income tax with the exception of Office Accommodation allowance and eating on site allowance. Office Accommodation allowance is a payment made to a number of field staff who make a room available in their home as an office, where suitable accommodation cannot be provided by the Department on an efficient/economical basis, as compensation for disruption and expense incurred.

The main expenditure on allowances in my Department is in respect of Met Éireann where shift allowance and public holiday allowances are paid on account of the 24/7 year round nature of operations. The other allowances listed above are generally common to many Departments.

All allowances in my Department are currently under review by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as part of an overall review of allowances in the Public Sector.