Department of Fun publishes expenses database, massive implications for FOI

[cyberianpan]

What is "Home Sub"

I notice Mr. Colin Miller a Higher Executive Officer has racked up €24k of it at €40 p/d, on several days when he claims it he also claims "Home - Miles/KMs" at €102.... brining his total to €39,784

cYp

[ibis]

A bit like EU payments to farmers being published on the web.

That's a fair point, of course - but what's the value of actually naming the people in question? From the perspective of determining whether expenses are appropriate it seems to add nothing - an employee number, or some form of ID, would seem adequate.

lol, tell me that you are being facetious?

...said the anonymous poster on the internet. Unless Mr Wolf is your real name, of course.

[odie1kanobe]

That's a fair point, of course - but what's the value of actually naming the people in question? From the perspective of determining whether expenses are appropriate it seems to add nothing - an employee number, or some form of ID, would seem adequate.



...said the anonymous poster on the internet. Unless Mr Wolf is your real name, of course.

Very different as these are people lawfully employed by the state to carry out a designated role and the expenses are for work / travel or other agreed within that department in carrying out their role.

[jtbooker]

While I like to see government figures, I'm a little bit perturbed by the ability to identify individuals by name? I appreciate that these are work expenses, but still, it seems a little intrusive.

Boo-hoo...I like to see how my money is spent by these incompetent clowns...

[ibis]

The fact that they are named allows us to see that Mrs Bull O'Donoghue was in receipt of €1,600 + of taxpayers cash

It also allows us to see how the political appointees are treating the taxpayer

Name the recipient, if everything is in order then there is no shame.

That sounds remarkably like "if you've nothing to hide you've nothing to fear". The Mrs O'Donoghue case is a reasonable point, although what I'd like to see there is the expenses of Ministerial appointees to the many quangos.

And yes I am Mr.Wolf which is certainly more declaratory than 'ibis'

Shrug - I like my anonymity, you like yours. Even though this is public money, it still seems a bit intrusive, but perhaps that's just a reflex on my part. I suppose nobody from the Facebook generation will even see the issue!

[W..R.H]

I think a FOI into the Department of Fisheries is in order

Well done to the story, we need people like them to hold our politicians to account.

[nixmix]

I have an issue in the naming of PS personnel who claimed expenses. They have a right of privacy rather than having the sneaks of the country looking at everything.

And we have a right to ensure that no fraud occurs. If anything, the release of names will make claimants of expenses today very cautious as to what they claim for and rightfully so.

If there was a privacy issue then I'm sure the checks and balances in the system would prevent an FOI request from succeeding. But the information has been legally released therefore no problem.

The only people who need to worry will be those who have gamed the system. And I'm sure we will hear plenty of concerns about privacy from those who have..

[odie1kanobe]

And we have a right to ensure that no fraud occurs. If anything, the release of names will make claimants of expenses today very cautious as to what they claim for and rightfully so.

If there was a privacy issue then I'm sure the checks and balances in the system would prevent an FOI request from succeeding. But the information has been legally released therefore no problem.

The only people who need to worry will be those who have gamed the system. And I'm sure we will hear plenty of concerns about privacy from those who have..

So for anybody named who is a PS exactly HOW do you know no fraud has occured ?

Come do tell as you are full of BS so exactly HOW are you proving it ?

[ibis]

Yeah, that's kind of the thing - with the exception of the Ann O'Donoghue case, the ability to see names doesn't really achieve anything bar satisfying prurience. Gavin could have replaced the names with pseudonyms before releasing the data - but then, so could the Department, and they have a duty of care for their employees.

[nixmix]

So for anybody named who is a PS exactly HOW do you know no fraud has occured ?

Come do tell as you are full of BS so exactly HOW are you proving it ?

lol,now now calm down. I never said anything about me searching for fraud! I am just very happy that it has been released,for the reasons above.
It is obvious that you are not, have I touched a nerve??

Anyway,since you are an expert on this..just what privacy concerns could arise out of this?