Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form the total amount spent per annum in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments; if his Department has been audited for tax compliance on these payments and other benefits-in-kind; if these processes have been revised in view of concerns by the Revenue Commissioners over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25822/14]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The table below provides details of expenditure by my Department on subsistence payments to staff and on taxi costs from 2011 to date in 2014.

* Note: this includes impact of EU Presidency 2013

My Department has not been audited for tax compliance. However, in March this year following a review by my Department an unprompted voluntary disclosure was made to the Revenue Commissioners which included a liability for benefit in kind in relation to use of taxis to and from home of €24, 506, including penalties and interest. This reflected a long-standing practice where staff are sometimes required to work outside normal office hours in order to carry out their official duties, in most cases due to Oireachtas sittings. Revenue guidelines require that benefit in kind is due on the costs of taxis from home to headquarters and vice versa. My Department has put in place revised arrangements to ensure compliance with Revenue Guidelines in respect of benefit in kind on taxi journeys to and from home.