Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total expenditure incurred by his Department in respect of courier or packaging services in each of the past five years; if services available through An Post were used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20384/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The total amount spent by the Department of Foreign Affairs on courier services over the last five years is as follows:

Diplomatic bag and freight services to and from our network of 69 missions account for approximately 96% of the Department's annual expenditure on courier services.

The Department uses the general postage service of An Post. In addition, the Passport Office has an arrangement with An Post with regard to issuing passports through its swift post service. The Department also uses An Post's special delivery service, SDS, and express mail services, EMS, where appropriate, for the diplomatic bag service.