Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of expense account credit cards paid by his Department; the credit limit on each card; the amount spent on expense account credit cards since 2004 to date in 2009; the instances where the annual expenditure on a single credit card exceeded €5,000 with the grade of the credit card holder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16069/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not provide so-called expense account credit cards to staff members. However, six senior members of staff are supplied with credit cards of the type where outstanding balances are paid directly by the Department to enable them to procure some goods and services as part of their official responsibilities. The expenditure limit of these cards is approximately €8,000.

Accurate information on detailed expenditure on these cards, prior to February 2008 is not readily available, but since then to March 2009, the total amount charged to them was €48,800, giving an average charge of approximately €8,000 on each card.

As the deputy will no doubt be aware, credit cards of this nature are no more than a tool which facilitates the efficient discharge of business; in many cases it is not possible to procure goods and services without a credit card where for example suppliers insist on advance payment.