Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 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. [2271/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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It has not been possible to prepare a comprehensive response in the time available. At present, 12 officials of the Department are in possession of credit cards approved and issued for departmental use. Those officials include the press officer, my own private secretary and the private secretary to the Minister of State. The latter two officials are authorised to spend on their Minister's behalf. Use of these authorised facilities is permissible on official departmental business or on official ministerial business as appropriate. As soon as the information is available to me, I will revert to the Deputy with the number of occasions on which these cards have been used in the life of the Government and the purpose of such use.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs 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. [2272/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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From June 2002 to date, the Department of Foreign Affairs issued 21 official credit cards. A list of office holders issued with these official credit cards and the number of occasions on which the cards were used is set out in annex A.

The Department issues official credit cards to Ministers, Ministers of State and a limited number of officers who, because of the nature of their work, need to make official payments on credit. Credit cards are used to make flight and hotel bookings, for representational purposes and for making sundry payments, at short notice, where cash may not be acceptable or where the cost involved would otherwise be too great to be met from an officer's own resources.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has two finance units: one for Vote 28 — Foreign Affairs — and one for Vote 29 — Overseas Development Assistance. A credit card has been issued to a higher executive officer in the Vote 28 finance unit and one credit card each to the accountant and a HEO in the Vote 29 finance unit. Finance unit credit cards are used mainly to book flights on the Internet and, occasionally, to purchase publications not available in Ireland.

As the Deputy will be aware, credit cards are the preferred method of payment for many hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the USA. The embassy in Washington uses two credit cards to cover payments which involve significant costs.

A card was issued to an officer in the embassy in Buenos Aires from March to August 2004 to cover payments for hotel costs, other official entertainment and transport costs for the President's visit to South America in 2004.