Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the average time, as of the end of April 2009, for payments to be made by his Department and each individual agency of his Department to outside businesses in respect of goods and services received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20870/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department receives in excess of 40,000 valid invoices for payment each year from contractors and suppliers. The average time taken to make payments in respect of these for the period from 1 May 2008 to 30 April 2009 was 19 days. My Department does not compile or hold data of this kind for bodies under the aegis of the Department.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the average time, as of the end of April 2009, for payments to be made by his Department and each individual agency of his Department to outside businesses in respect of goods and services received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20865/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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My Department aims, in its dealings with suppliers of goods and services, to pay all invoices as soon as possible after the goods and services have been satisfactorily delivered and the supporting documentation necessary to enable the payment has been received by my Department. In addition, payments governed by the provisions of the Prompt Payment of Accounts Act 1997, are required to be made within the statutory limit of 30 days set out in the Act.

The vast majority of all payments made by my Department to outside contractors for goods and services are made within 30 days. In 2008, over 99% of all payments made by my Department were made within 30 days. All payments made by agencies affiliated to my Department are a day-to-day operational matter for those organisations. Payments made by these agencies are subject to the provisions of the Prompt Payment of Accounts Act 1997.