Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of money, under each heading, spent by him on refreshments for meetings and functions, including sandwiches, teas and coffees, and bottled water, in 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010 in tabular form; the name of the company used to supply the refreshments and the address; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46908/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I can inform the Deputy that the amount spent in my Department on refreshments for meetings and functions, in 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010 from the Department's catering allocation, is as set it in the table below.

There has been an ongoing review of spending and value for money analysis across the administrative budget over the last three years. As the Deputy will see this review has resulted in significant decreases in spending over the period in question.

There is a small additional spend on refreshments from "programme" allocations in respect of some meetings but this small spend is not disaggregated from the overall spend in these instances.