Departmental Staff Expenses

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2014

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Ceisteanna (131)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

131. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide, in tabular form. the total amount spent per annum from 2011 to 2014, inclusive, on staff subsistence payments, 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 concerns by the Revenue Commissioners over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25816/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

My Department comprises two separate votes, Vote 28 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vote 27 International Co-operation. The total amount spent per annum in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments is as follows;

Year	Subsistence	Taxi fares Reimbursed	Total
2011	754,865	151,755	906,620
2012	793,643	166,775	960,418
2013	829,662	182,027	1,011,689
(To May )2014	249,901	63,877	313,778
TOTAL	2,628,071	564,436	3,192,505

Given the nature of my Department’s responsibilities officers are obliged to undertake a significant amount of official travel. Travel and meetings often take place out of hours leading to subsistence and taxi requirements. The central aim of the Departmental travel policy is to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties. The Department complies with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars in relation to subsistence payments, including reimbursement of taxi costs. The Department is subject to audit by both the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Department’s Internal Audit function.