Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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377. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide, in tabular form, the total amount spent in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and i n 2015 to date 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 the Revenue Commissioners concerns over practises in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23674/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The details of subsistence and taxi fare payments in respect of the staff of my Department, as requested by the Deputy, are set out in the following table:

These payments have not been the subject of audit by the Revenue Commissioners. All subsistence payments are made in accordance the Civil Service rates for travel and subsistence and are therefore disregarded for income tax purposes. The taxi fare payments mainly relate to travel in connection with official duties abroad, with a very small numbers of instances occurring where ICT staff complete a shift at midnight and due to these unsocial hours may avail of a taxi service. My Department endeavours to be tax compliant in all matters, including the correct tax treatment of travel and subsistence expenses.