Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Can I ask the Taoiseach about the incurring of expenses? As an inevitable result of the development of devolved bodies and organisations, which has been a strong feature of public administration in Ireland over the last 20 years, many Ministers now carry out official functions and visits through such bodies and organisations. As semi-State bodies and organisations are not accountable to the Dáil in the same direct way as a Department of State, there is enormous scope for what some people might consider to be the hiding of expenditure. In general, journalists do not become aware of such expenditure unless they use the freedom of information provisions. I suggest, in the interests of restoring public confidence, that officeholders and senior executives in public service Departments, as well as the devolved bodies and semi-State companies, etc., should be required to publish on a quarterly basis a summary of the expenses they have incurred in respect of matters like entertainment and travel. I suspect that the expenses claimed within most bodies are relatively modest. I hope the cases of over-the-top and extravagant expenses are exceptions.

A practice has developed regarding entertainment budgets of people making extensive use of credit cards. Would it not be wise to introduce a daily limit on credit card spending for senior departmental officials, including the private secretaries who administer ministerial travel and entertainment budgets? That would be a practical way of reining in spending and, where a particular entertainment or travel expense is liable to be high, ensuring that thought is given to whether the amount involved is excessive.

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