Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has a contract with a taxi firm; if so, the amount of money spent by officials in 2007 and 2008; the changes he will bring about; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4031/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department has an account with a taxi company. Expenditure for the Department on taxis amounted to €69,016 in 2007, of which €32,186 was paid to the company in question. The corresponding figure for expenditure on taxis in 2008 was €73,459, €37,307 of which was paid to the taxi company.

It is Departmental policy that public transport should be used wherever possible for travel in the course of official business. Departmental staff have been directed that taxis should only be hired where no suitable public transport is available. Budgets for travel have been reduced for 2009 and expenditure is being closely monitored.

The Department also launched a Workplace Travel Plan in October 2008 to encourage greater use of sustainable transport options in the conduct of official business. The Plan aims to ensure: that use is made of public transport, to the greatest possible extent, in the course of official business; that walking/cycling to meetings within reasonable distance is encouraged and that taxis are used only where absolutely necessary; the further development and promotion of the use of video-conferencing and other IT supports to reduce the amount of travel to attend meetings in different Department locations; that the operation and timing of internal meetings is reviewed in order to reduce the amount of travel between Departmental offices.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if external storage is utilised by his Department; if so, if he will state what is being stored; the length of time it has it 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. [4045/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Department uses external facilities for long-term storage of files, pending their transmission to the National Archives, and for storage of artefacts held by the National Monuments Service. The Department does not hold information on the terms of the contract or on the cost of storage as the contract was effected by the Office of Public Works, which also meets the cost of the storage.

Additionally, some 4,762 electronic voting machines were moved to a central storage facility located at Gormanston Army Camp in 2007. Costs incurred to date in respect of the movement and storage of this equipment are some €328,000. These are largely one-off costs related to the preparation of the facility, transportation of the machines and the acquisition of storage containers. There are no ongoing rental costs.