David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the taxi companies used by his Department and State agencies under the aegis of his Department have a minimum percentage of taxis which are accessible for people with disabilities and wheelchair users; the amount expended by his Department and State agencies on taxi hire in 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23587/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Following a tender process, the Department currently has contracts with two Dublin taxi firms.

Both companies fully comply with the Taxi Regulator guidelines. While these firms do not have a set minimum percentage of wheelchair accessible vehicles, both have a significant proportion of accessible vehicles, 11 percent in the case of one company and 15 percent in the case of the other.

The information requested by the Deputy on the amount expended by my Department on taxi hire in 2008 and to date in 2009 is as follows:

The figures for Headquarters show expenditure on taxis by the Department in both Limerick and Dublin, as well as expenditure incurred by officials of the Department travelling overseas on official business. Therefore not all the amount shown is expended with the two companies under contract. The figures for the Department's 75 missions abroad (Embassies, Consulates and other offices) show expenditure on taxis by officers to these missions.

The Department of Foreign Affairs taxi policy is based on the principle that taxi use by officers should only take place where it is clearly required for the conduct of official business, and only where public transport is not otherwise available or feasible. In view of the particular nature of the Department's work, it will, inevitably, require continued use of taxis. The Department's expenditure on taxi usage is monitored and was recently the subject of an internal review. This has resulted in a reduction in the use of taxis, as reflected in the figures above. I am confident that the Department will continue to make savings over the course of the current year.