Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I will not indulge you too long, a Cheann Comhairle. I want to outline some of the allowances. Approximately 20 allowances are being paid in the Department of the Taoiseach. The list from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade includes the child allowance, to which the Minister of State referred, for people who were in the public service before a set period, which does not apply. However, it also contains a van-driver allowance, franking machine allowance, keyholder allowance, paper-keeper allowance, shoe allowance, switchboard allowance, unsocial hours allowance, diplomatic duty allowance and passport office allowance. The list continues for five pages. The Department of Finance list includes delegates allowance, higher duty allowance, machine allowance, special variable allowance, keyholder allowance, telephonist allowance, child allowance, retro higher duty allowance, retro special allowance, retro private secretary allowance, retro local post allowance tax-free.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform list contains allowance personal to holder, child allowance again, maternity allowance, private secretary allowance and special allowance. There are not too many in that Department, which is a relatively new Department. The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation list also refers to child allowance. I am not dealing with the ones for private secretaries. We understand the allowances for staff on duty on weekends. I said here last week that many allowances and increments are part of pay - I have no argument with that. I was only asking for a list of what we are discussing. I am one of the few people in the House who will stand up for the public service in pensionable payment allowances. There are also footwear allowance, delegate allowance, cost of living allowance, child foreign allowance, local post allowance and school fees allowance. I also submitted separate parliamentary questions on the school allowances paid in separate Departments.

The Department of Social Protection list includes telephone rental allowance, keyholder allowance, Gaeltacht allowance, dual responsibility allowance, cleaning allowance, training allowance, travel allowance, personal to the holder allowance and special investigation unit allowance. Obviously being in the special investigation unit of the Department of Social Protection can be a very difficult job, operating out of hours. An officer could be - I will not say on surveillance work - working with other State authorities.

I accept some of these jobs could be difficult and could involve a certain risk for the individual. I fully support some of these allowances and would defend them to the last but some of them are outdated and should no longer be in place.

In every Department there is a franking machine allowance. In the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government there is a shift allowance, a PCW allowance, a special duty allowance, a met station officer allowance, a children's allowance, a photocopying allowance, a driving allowance, an office accommodation allowance and an eating on site allowance - this is granted where there is no canteen available. A person gets €1.75 tax free for having their lunch while sitting at their desk. One can discuss the merits of that separately, I am simply putting the allowances on record. I asked for the list of allowances paid by the local authorities where there are 30,000 staff and was advised that the list will be provided separately.

The Minister for Justice and Equality advised that there is a higher duties allowance, a paperkeeper allowance, a supervisor allowance, a driving allowance, a footwear allowance, an out of call allowance and various other allowances payable to the Minster's staff with which I have no problem. They are entitled to it, they earn and put in long hours.

In regard to the Department of Defence, I do not want to overdo what I say about the allowances there. I got into a good deal of trouble talking about the Border duty allowance. I tabled a separate question to establish if that allowance is in place. I have been criticised by colleagues and have received telephone calls about that.

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