Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

161. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will report on the staffing and other costs of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council in 2012 and 2013 and the projected costs for the Council in 2014. [1678/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council was established on a non-statutory basis in July 2011 and established on a statutory basis on the 31 December 2012 under the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2012. The Fiscal Responsibility Act 2012 provides for a ceiling of €800,000 for the Fiscal Council in 2012. This sum is to be adjusted by the annual percentage change in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices published by the Central Statistics Office. Accordingly, any expenditure incurred by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council in the performance of its functions since its establishment on a statutory basis at the beginning of 2013, is charged on and paid out of the Central Fund. In 2012, Fiscal Council costs were €438,301, covering both pay (€228,052) and non-pay (€210,249) expenditure costs. In 2013, the Fiscal Council received a total of €499,939 covering both pay (€244,861) and non-pay (€255,078) related expenditure. To facilitate payments from the Central Fund, the Fiscal Council has provided projected costs for the coming year to my Department. The projected costs for 2014 are €732,020. This sum is broken down as follows; Pay - €384,955 and non-pay - €347,065. The number of staff in the Fiscal Council has increased from 3 in 2012 to 5 in 2014. Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2012 the Fiscal Council may appoint such and so many persons to be members of the staff of the Fiscal Council, and on such terms, as may be determined by the Fiscal Council with the prior consent of the Minister given following consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

The accounts of the Fiscal Council are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General, who is required to make a report to Dáil Éireann with respect to the correctness of the sums brought to account by the Fiscal Council in the year. The chairperson of the Fiscal Council is required to appear before committees of Dáil Éireann, if invited to do so, to give evidence in relation to the accounts of the Council and the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General.