State pays €1m on fees for children of overseas staff

The State is paying over €1m a year to fund the private education of the children of foreign affairs staff posted overseas.

Details have emerged of a range of allowances paid across the public service which are under review by Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure and reform minister.

Among the payments are a €444-a-year clothing allowance to staff in the Government press office who also receive an “on-call” allowance of five hours’ overtime at double time every week.