Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amounts spent by previous Ministers and Ministers of State within his Department on subsistence, mobile phone communications and recouped expenses, with indications given to the portion that are both vouched and unvouched for each year from 1 January 2007 to 9 March 2011 inclusive; the extent of such expenditure that was discharged directly by his Department on behalf of the Minister concerned; the extent to which the expenditure was discharged by credit card directly by or on behalf of the Minister involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35502/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Details of the travel and subsistence claims, mobile phone costs and other expenses recouped by Ministers and Ministers of State in my Department from 1 January 2007 to 9 March 2011 are set out below.

Travel and subsistence expenses are paid on the basis of recoupment claims submitted by an individual Minister or Minister of State, in accordance with the relevant circulars issued by the Department of Finance. The mobile phone costs outlined above were discharged directly by the Department, except in the case of Minister Gormley in 2007 and 2008 when the Department paid €416.77 and €545.22 in the respective years for such costs recouped to the Minister on the basis of a vouched claim. The other recouped expenses detailed above are entertainment costs incurred directly by the Minister or Minister of State where reimbursement was subsequently sought on the basis of vouched claims.

None of the costs outlined above were discharged on Departmental credit cards.