Written answers

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Departmental Staff Expenses

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 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, 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. [25816/14]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My Department comprises two separate votes, Vote 28 Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Vote 27 International Co-operation. The total amount spent per annum in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014 on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments is as follows;

Year Subsistence Taxi fares Reimbursed Total
2011754,865151,755906,620
2012793,643166,775960,418
2013829,662182,0271,011,689
(To May )2014249,90163,877313,778
TOTAL2,628,071564,4363,192,505

Given the nature of my Department’s responsibilities officers are obliged to undertake a significant amount of official travel. Travel and meetings often take place out of hours leading to subsistence and taxi requirements. The central aim of the Departmental travel policy is to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties. The Department complies with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circulars in relation to subsistence payments, including reimbursement of taxi costs. The Department is subject to audit by both the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Department’s Internal Audit function.

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