Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if it is financial policy within his Department for the Health Service Executive national directors to use taxpayers money through the use of credit cards to pay for institute membership; his views on whether this should be the responsibility of the staff member concerned just as health care professionals have to pay for their own; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13052/11]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the measures in place to ensure that credit cards are not used within the Health Service Executive as a means of circumventing the national financial regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13053/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 and 94 together.

The HSE's National Financial Regulation (NFR) 10 sets out the policies and procedures for the approval, set-up, usage and transaction processing of credit cards. It also sets out the policies and procedures for the monitoring and audit of credit card transactions . The National Financial Regulations stipulate that the use of credit cards is not intended to avoid or bypass appropriate procurement and payment procedures, and all purchases must be made in accordance with applicable HSE purchasing policies and procedures.

Currently, nine senior HSE officials are approved credit card holders. Credit cards are used to meet expenses incurred by or on behalf of that senior official in respect of the carrying out of his/her duties. Credit cards are used to settle vouched expenses which are incurred on official HSE business. In the absence of a credit card arrangement, this expenditure would otherwise be reclaimed by the HSE official by way of vouched expenses in accordance with public sector travel and subsistence regulations. The credit card constitutes an efficient payment method for this type of expenditure.

With regard to the use of credit cards to pay for institute membership, the Executive reimburses certain employees for institute membership which is incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily by an individual in the performance of the duties of his or her employment with the HSE and where: the duties of the employee and the duties of the employment require the exercise or practice of the occupation or profession in respect of which the annual membership fee refers; the employee so exercises or practices the occupation or profession in respect of which the annual membership fee refers; and membership of the professional body is an indispensable condition of the tenure of the employment.

The credit card constitutes an efficient payment method for this type of expenditure which in some instances is incurred in foreign currency, e.g. GBP (£).