Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 82: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will incentivise the use of bus and rail by his Department for official business in order that bus and rail use might account for a greater proportion of transport expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18105/05]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the regulations regarding the use of various forms of transport are agreed centrally for the Civil Service as a whole by my colleague the Minister for Finance, I do not have scope to offer particular incentives to my officials to use bus or rail for official business purposes nor do I believe that it would be appropriate for me to do so.

Generally, the travelling and subsistence regulations published by the Department of Finance highlight the importance of using public transport where possible and appropriate. Generally officers are authorised to use their own transport on official business where suitable public transport is not available, where public transport is available only at equal or greater expense or where the use of public transport would result in the loss of official time which it is necessary to avoid. The Deputy will understand that the use of private transport by the travelling officials of my Department will regularly be necessitated in one or more of these circumstances.

My Department generally supports the use of public transport by staff and operates the tax efficient public transport scheme as approved by the Minister for Finance whereby staff can purchase annual bus and rail passes through the Department for private use.