Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 870: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost of using departmental transport including ministerial cars for each year since 1997 to date in 2007; and the cost of providing similar services to Ministers of State and staff in his Department for the same period. [33677/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 871: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost of him using public transport for every year since 1997 to date in 2007; and the cost of providing similar services to Ministers of State and staff for the same period. [33692/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 903: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost on a yearly basis for transport hire of any kind for his transport and that of his staff for each year since 1997 to date in 2007; the reason for such hire; if tenders were sought; the locations brought from and to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34097/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 870, 871 and 903 together.

I wish to refer the Deputy to my responses to questions 27694/07 and 29049/07 of 7 and 15 November respectively, in which I provided information regarding certain aspects of my transport arrangements and those of Ministers of State at my Department.

Insofar as my official car is concerned, the position is that cars are made available for use by Members of the Government and certain other officeholders and these cars are operated and maintained as part of the Garda fleet. I am informed by the Garda authorities that information on the cost of providing this service for the ten year period referred to by the Deputy is being compiled. However, in the time available it has not been possible to finalise this exercise. I will communicate the information to the Deputy as soon as it is to hand.

The position with respect to Ministers of State is that they are entitled to utilise their own personal vehicles and to claim mileage at the rates set centrally for that purpose. The Department also funds the employment of civilian drivers for this purpose. The Department incurs transport related costs under a wide range of headings, including by means of travel claims submitted in the normal fashion. It is not feasible to extract this data in the time available. I can, however, inform the Deputy that total expenditure by my Department under the subhead items for taxi and transport costs in 2006 and 2007 was €193,148 and €109,870 respectively, with taxi costs representing the majority of the expenditure.