Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his carbon footprint and that of each Minister of State in his Department; the change in this footprint after one year in office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33338/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have only been in my current ministerial role since May of this year and so it is not possible to provide a year-on-year comparison of my carbon footprint in this post.

Using the carbon calculator on the Government's climate change awareness website, www.change.ie , the carbon emissions arising for my official travel, for the period May 2008 to date, have been calculated as 12.55 tonnes. As above, there is no comparable figure available for the previous year.

In relation to my colleague, the Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr. Peter Power T.D., the carbon emissions for the period of time which he has been in his current office, i.e. May 2008 to date, have been calculated as 11.45 tonnes. No comparable figure is available for the previous year.

For my colleague, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche T.D., the carbon emissions have been calculated as 16.72 tonnes per annum, from 1 October 2007 to date. As Minister of State Roche was appointed to his present post in June 2007, no comparable figure is available for the previous year.

My Department is participating in the Government's carbon offsetting scheme for official travel. The portion of the carbon emissions stated above, which relate to air travel, will be appropriately offset, in the context of that scheme.