Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the average cost to his Department of answering a parliamentary question. [3861/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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No data is kept in my Department on the cost of answering parliamentary questions. Answering parliamentary questions is an activity which is integral to my Department's activities, and the costs are spread across a wide number of divisions and systems; there are also costs arising in the Oireachtas for which my Department would not be accountable.

However, it is estimated that the staffing cost of answering a parliamentary question in my Department is not less than €200 per question. However, for complex questions requiring coordination across all Divisions in the Department and requiring also an input from all Agencies under the aegis of my Department, the average is likely to be many multiples of this amount.