Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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65. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that all staff employed in his Department do not have financial interests which may conflict with their public service duties; the requirements which are placed upon staff in order to ensure impartiality; if it is permissible for staff who are employed at his Department to comply with these regulations by transferring any potential compromising interests to their spouses or civil partners; if such transfers are required to be disclosed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17001/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As in the case for all civil servants, all staff in my Department must adhere to the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.  The code makes it clear that "Civil servants are not allowed to: use their official positions to benefit themselves or others with whom they have personal, family, business or other ties". 

It goes on to state that "Civil servants may not at any time engage in, or be connected with, any outside business or activity which would in any way conflict with the interests of their Departments/Offices, or be inconsistent with their official positions, or tend to impair their ability to carry out their duties as civil servants"

In addition, staff at designated levels are required to comply with the provisions of the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001, which requires the return of a completed Statement of Interests form on an annual basis.  In my Department all staff at Administrative Officer, Higher Executive Officer level or above have been designated and earlier this year, with the exception of staff who are absent on maternity leave or other long term leave, all designated staff have completed a return for 2014. Staff on secondment to my Department from the NTMA at an equivalent level are also required to complete the same Statement of Interests form on an annual basis and return it to the Compliance Officer in my Department.

These forms require the disclosure of all interests which could materially influence a staff member in or in relation to the performance of their official functions.

A member of staff cannot avoid these disclosure requirements by transferring interests to a spouse or civil partner, as the staff member is required to disclose any such interest "held by you and any interests held, to your actual knowledge, by your spouse or civil partner, a child of yours, or a child of your spouse."