Departmental Staff Expenses

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2014

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Ceisteanna (338)

Barry Cowen

Ceist:

338. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide, in tabular form, the total amount spent per annum in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 on staff subsistence payments and 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 Revenue Commissioners' concerns over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49320/14]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Details of the expenditure incurred by my Department on overseas and home travel and subsistence, including the costs associated with taxi fares, since 2011 are set out in the following table.

Year	Cost	Portion of cost spent on taxi usage
2011	€66,087	€1,485
2012	€102,002	€6,028
2013	€136,231	€10,317
2014 to date	€78,655	€4,825

Claims in respect of travel and subsistence are only paid in respect of costs necessarily incurred in the performance of official duties and are in line with the relevant travel and subsistence circulars as issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and previously by the Department of Finance, particularly Circular 11/82 which sets out the detailed instructions governing the payment of travelling and subsistence allowances.

Expenditure in this regard is examined by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General as part of their annual audit of Departmental expenditure.