Written answers

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Department of Finance

Departmental Expenditure

12:00 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Finance the total spend by his Department on carbon offsets for official travel undertaken by him and his Minister of State for 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; to whom this money, if any, has been awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30280/10]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The amount paid by my Department in respect of carbon offsets for commercial flights undertaken for official travel by both the Minister for Finance and Minister of State at the Department of Finance for the period 14 June 2007 to 31 December 2009 are set out in the table.

PeriodMinisterial Travel total spend on carbon offsetsMinister of States Travel total spend on carbon offsets
14 June 2007 to 31 December 2008€83€163
2009nil€30.00

Carbon Offsets for 2007 and 2008 flights were paid in 2009, and carbon offsets for 2009 flights were paid in 2010. Flights taken in 2010 will not be offset until the first quarter of 2011. Payments for carbon offsets, in respect flights taken by the Minister of State, were also made by the Office of Public Works. For official flights taken in 2009 the offsetting costs in respect of the Minister of State came to €36.23. I have been informed by the Office of Public Works that they do not have an individual breakdown of air miles travelled by the Minister of State for the period 14 June 2007 to 31 December 2008 and therefore do not have an individual offset cost for the Minister of State's travel during this period.

The offsetting costs of all travel by Government Ministers and civil servants on the Government Jet are paid by the Department of the Taoiseach. Monies for carbon offsets are paid into an offsetting fund which is administered by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP). Investments by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership on Ireland's behalf will focus on the purchase of Gold Standard carbon credits generated by small-scale activities/projects in Ireland's Priority Oversees Development Aid countries in Africa.

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