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

Question 123: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food further to the reply of 27 January 2005 in respect of the use of credit cards in her Department, the total expenditure involved and the various transactions covered by credit card payment during the period in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5496/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The total expenditure since June 2002 on those credit cards for which the Department assumes responsibility is €81,212.74. While the majority of expenditure relates to hotel costs, other costs include air fares, official hospitality, conference registration fees, car parking and Government levies.

In the case of other credit cards, the cardholders themselves are personally responsible for any balance on the card. The credit cards are used as a convenience to cover expenditure arising in the performance of official duties. The official expenditure involved must be claimed back from the Department by the cardholder in the normal way, for example, through written travel and subsistence claims submitted for payment following approval by the officers' superiors.