Work of the Finance Unit

Payments and Receipts

The role of this section is to process and issue the general payments of the Department in a timely manner, and also to lodge monies received by the Department. The role also includes payment of the Departments tax liabilities, balancing payments and receipts accounts, and implementation of audit procedures.

Estimates Section

The role of this section is to liaise with the Department of Finance to coordinate the exchequer allocation and to fulfil the reporting responsibilities for the Department and it’s agencies.

Salaries Section

The role of Salaries Section is to pay the salaries of all Departmental Staff as well as the staff of the Department’s agencies. It also makes necessary amendments to payroll for individual staff members on instruction from Department of Finance, Personnel or the staff member themselves and makes the pay over of staff salary deductions to the relevant organisations e.g. Revenue Commissioner, VHI, Unions etc

Accounting Section

The role of the Accounting Section is to prepare the Department's accounts for consideration by the Comptroller and Auditor General and to provide information as required for follow up audits. The Accounting Section also carries out a monthly reconciliation of Department's Financial Management System to the Paymaster General Accounts. Another role of the section is to prepare briefing material for any appearance by the Secretary General before the Public Accounts Committee.

Travel and Subsistence Section

Travel Section is responsible for the reimbursement of expenses necessarily incurred by staff in the course of their official business both in Ireland and abroad. The Section assists the Department’s staff in organising foreign travel and is responsible for managing the Department’s travel agent account. Travel Section also has responsibility for recouping travelling expenses from the EU Commission/Council. The section is currently working on a project to introduce the reimbursement of expenses to staff by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT).

Liaison with Department of Finance

Responsibility for the operation, control and monitoring of the Department's Administrative budget rests with Finance Unit.

The Finance Unit co-ordinates and negotiates with the Department of Finance on the Department’s Estimates and Multi-Annual Budgets. The Finance Unit liaises with the Department of Finance in relation to public financial procedures, provides advice to line management in relation to such matters and ensures that the Department as a whole complies with the prescribed procedures. The Unit also provides monthly returns of expenditure / receipts to the Department of Finance.