Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of parliamentary questions replied to by his Department in 2006; the cost involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3241/07]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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A total of 763 parliamentary questions were answered by my Department in 2006. Of that number, I answered 91 orally and 672 were written questions.

It is not possible to accurately quantify the cost of answering these questions as firstly there are no staff exclusively dedicated to this task in my Department and secondly it depends on many factors including the number and level of staff involved, the time spent, the complexity and importance of the issue, the form in which the information sought exists and whether the questions are written or oral.