Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 21: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the cost of providing mobile telephony and PDA services for her in each of the years since 2002, broken down by handset purchase costs, rental and call costs, and other costs; the amount of money which was refunded by her in connection with personal use of these phones, PDAs and Blackberries in each year since 2002 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14530/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I was appointed as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 7 May, 2008. My predecessors in the Department were Micheál Martin who was the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from September 2004 until 7 May 2008 and Mary Harney who was the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment during 2002 and until September, 2004.

Since 2002 the annual costs incurred by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on mobile telephony services for the various Ministers for Enterprise, Trade and Employment were as follows: 2002 Not available 2003 Not available 2004 €6,144.54 2005 €4,131.31 2006 €3,609.26 2007 €4,641.63 2008 €4,786.34

Of the amount expended in 2008, €2,184.73 relates to Minister Martin and the balance of €2,601.61 relates to me. It is not possible to provide a breakdown for each year according to handset purchase costs, rental costs, call costs and other costs. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were not used by me or the previous Ministers for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. No refunds were made for personal use of the mobile telephony services by Ministers during 2008, 2007, 2006; such information for 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002 is not readily available.

In the time available, it has only been possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy insofar as the records of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are concerned. If the above information is not exactly what the Deputy wanted, I would be happy to supply any additional information on hearing from the Deputy.