Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has a strategy to reduce the level of printed correspondence, communications, reports and other documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12791/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department's filing system is a paper-based one.

However, within this context, the use of electronic media is encouraged, as much as possible, where it is appropriate and secure to do so.

The Department's own Intranet and internal email is used for the circulation of material and internal communication. There were limited print-runs of the Department's 2006 Annual Report (20 copies) and its 2005-7 Strategy Statement (200 copies), but these, together with all such public documents, were placed on the Department's Website for public access. Irish Aid publishes all of it publications on-line and encourages members of the public to access publications in this way.

Photocopiers and printers are provided which facilitate double-sided copying and printing and staff are encouraged to use these, where possible.

All payments from the Department's financial systems are made electronically; this includes the provision of ePayslips to all office-based staff.

Where paper is generated, staff are encouraged and facilitated to shred and re-cycle and recyclable paper and stationery are used wherever suitable; this currently amounts to over 55% of expenditure on such products.