Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 226: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of credit cards issued for departmental use to Ministers, Ministers of State or others; the person or persons authorised to use such cards; the circumstances in which use is permissible; the number of occasions on which they have been used in the life of the Government; the purpose of such use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2282/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Four credit cards are in official use in my Department. These are held by my private secretary, Minister of State, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, a principal officer and the head of administration and training, Met Éireann. These credit cards are for official business use only, for example, in circumstances where it may be necessary to facilitate the immediate delivery of goods or services. Transactions on these credit cards must be certified by the holders as pertaining to official business and are checked by the Department's personnel and accounts sections.

Taking account also of three other departmental credit cards which are no longer extant, some 180 transactions have been carried out on official credit cards between June 2002 and the end of December 2004.