Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the details of spending, using departmental credit cards held by Department staff over the past four years; the numbers of persons in his Department who hold credit cards; the credit limits of said cards; and the amount that was specifically spent by his Department on entertainment provided using said credit card. [23316/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I interpret the Deputy's question as relating to credit cards held by my Department where any costs incurred on the cards are paid directly by the Department. My Department does not operate credit cards of this nature.

However, my Department recognises that certain staff may incur substantial up-front costs in the course of their official business. In this context, my Department can facilitate the issuing of a corporate charge card by a commercial provider. In order to be provided with this facility staff must satisfy certain criteria. There must be a business need for the card and a supervisor at Principal Officer level or higher must approve the application. In addition, the Finance Officer must be satisfied that the applicant is required to travel on a regular basis and/or requires the charge card facility, having regard to the officer's duties.

Staff who are issued with corporate charge cards under this arrangement hold individual accounts with the issuing credit card company. Each cardholder is responsible for paying any balances due on his/her account directly to the credit card company as and when they arise.

Staff are entitled to reclaim from my Department travel, subsistence and other official expenses incurred in connection with their official duties, in accordance with Department of Finance regulations and applicable rates. Reimbursements of this nature are paid directly to the officers concerned who may use the refunds to settle their charge card accounts.

At present, 6 staff of my Department hold corporate charge cards under the arrangement outlined. Provided the individual cardholder has settled his/her account with the credit card company in full and on time each month, no pre-set limit is placed on the card by the provider. However, the card company monitors the spend on the cards, and any out-of-pattern spend or ramp-up in spend on a card is blocked at the point of sale. In addition to these controls, my Department monitors and regularly reviews activity and monthly balances on accounts.

Some other staff of my Department choose to use personal credit cards for business-related transactions and claim reimbursement of these expenses in accordance with Department of Finance regulations.

My Department pays Government Stamp Duty on all corporate and personal charge/credit cards used for official transactions. The total cost of Stamp Duty paid on these cards from 2008 to the present is set out on the following table:

Official entertainment includes the hosting of official lunches, dinners and receptions and is governed by Department of Finance guidelines. It is not feasible to provide the amount that was specifically spent by my Department on entertainment using a corporate charge card. Details of my Department's spend on official entertainment over the last four years is on the table following:

Details of Expenditure on Official Entertainment 2008 to 2011