Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016

Friday, 16 September 2016

Ceisteanna (570, 571)

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

570. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of credit cards issued to staff working in each State agency funded by his Department, in tabular form; the number of cards per funded agency; the amount spent by credit card in 2014 and 2015 by each agency; the amount of bank interest paid on credit cards in 2014 and 2015; the controls in place to monitor the issuing of and the expenditure on these cards; the controls in place in each agency to monitor expenditure on personally held credit card bills that are subsequently used to recoup work related expenses; if these controls are being reviewed in view of recent events in agencies funded by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24756/16]

Dara Calleary

Ceist:

571. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of credit cards issued to staff working in any third party agency funded by his Department, in tabular form; the number of cards per funded agency; the amount spent by credit card in 2014 and 2015 by each agency; the controls in place to monitor the issuing of and the expenditure on these cards; the controls in place in each agency to monitor expenditure on credit card bills that are subsequently used to recoup work related expense; if these controls are being reviewed in view of recent events in agencies funded by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24771/16]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 571 together.

Operational matters in relation to state agencies and third party organisations, including policies around the use of credit cards, are a matter for the organisations concerned. As with all expenditure, state bodies must comply with the relevant requirements of the Public Spending Code which is available at http://publicspendingcode.per.gov.ie/ and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. Third party agencies in receipt of funding from my Department are governed by a range of provisions and controls associated with such funding, including the requirement that funds are used in accordance with the relevant framework agreements which address financial matters and also the requirement to prepare and seek approval for audited financial statements in accordance with all relevant Government Circulars.