Local Government Fund

Thursday, 10 October 2013

Questions (153)

Barry Cowen

Question:

153. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 477 of 01 October 2013, which indicated that the current gross payroll bill for the local government sector amounts to €1.354 billion whereas the payroll figure in his Department's consolidated Financial Statement is €1.682 billion, if he will explain the significant difference between the figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42977/13]

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Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

Quarterly returns including Payroll and Superannuation are collected and collated by my Department in a prescribed format under the IMF / EU Programme of Financial Support (PFS) for Ireland. In this regard, the Gross Cash Remuneration costs in 2012 for all local authorities amounted to €1.354 billion. This figure comprises core pay, overtime, allowances and other pay related costs for the period 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012 inclusive.

2011 is the latest year for which audited local authority Annual Financial Statement data are available. Total payroll expenses, sourced from Appendix 1 of the audited 2011 Annual Financial Statement, were €1,785,020,113 in that year, inclusive of salaries and wages, pension and gratuities and other payroll costs.