Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Transport if his Department has a contract with a taxi firm; if so, the amount of money spend by officials in 2007 and 2008; the changes he will bring about; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4037/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has a contractual arrangement for taxi services with National Radio Cabs. The amount of money spent by officials was € 41,331.18 in 2007 and €23,736.96 in 2008.

The use of taxis by officials is kept under scrutiny to ensure that we receive the best value for money.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Transport if external storage is utilised by his Department; if so, if he will state what is being stored; the length of time it has been stored; the cost of such storage; the details of the contract; his plans in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4051/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has two contractual arrangements in place for the provision of external storage facilities which is taken to refer to commercial non-Departmental facilities.

Firstly, there is an external storage facility in Dublin that is utilized by my Department to store surplus office furniture and which my Department considers to have value and can be used again. Such storage is temporary in nature and is drawn upon as circumstances require in any of the Department's fifteen locations countrywide. The bulk of the furniture currently in storage was stored in late 2007 and it is planned to use it again later this year in the context of an office refurbishment project in the Department's Leeson Lane offices. This contractual arrangement provides for the availability of storage as and when required by the Department. Costs are determined on the basis of the volume of space utilized. In 2008 this amounted to €17,322 and a similar provision is envisaged for this year.

The second external storage facility, located in Limerick, stores documents from the Driver and Vehicle Computer Services Division based in Shannon. Costs are also based on volume of space utilized and in 2008 the cost involved amounted to €19,600.