Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the funding that has been made available for training civil servants in 2010 in his Department; the extent to which this sum has been further reduced since the initial allocation in the estimates for his Department; the extent to which such sums have been spent to the end of June 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31681/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The funding that was made available for training civil servants in 2010 in my Department was: €800,000.

This was reduced to €787,000 on 1st May 2010 due to the transfer of the Office of Social Inclusion to the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Figures detailing the extent to which this sum has been spent to the end of June 2010 have not been fully submitted yet, and therefore this information will not be available until mid-July.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Defence 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. [30276/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Government introduced the Irish Government Offsetting Scheme for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from official travel on 24 June 2008. The administrative structures to permit the scheme to become fully operational were put in place in 2009.

The first payment under this scheme was made in April 2009 in respect of the period 14 June 2007 to 31 December 2008 and amounted to €1,538 of which no charges were due in respect of travel for the Minister and the Minister of State. Payment in respect of year ending 31 December 2009 was processed in February 2010 and amounted to €1,061 of which no charges were due in respect of travel for the Minister or the Minister of State. Payment for year ending 31 December 2010 will be calculated and processed in early 2011.

All offsetting charges due in respect of the Ministerial Air Transport Service are paid by the Department of the Taoiseach, in respect of all Government departments. The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership based in Vienna is charged with administering the scheme on Ireland's behalf and decisions on investing the offsetting funds are dealt with by that body.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for Defence the total cost of travel and subsistence to public servants in his Department arising from travel to meetings or events in Dublin and Brussels from offices that have been decentralised for 2010 to date, for 2009, and for 2008; if he will state to whom this money, if any, has been awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30291/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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A number of the Department's branches decentralised to Galway in 1989. The total cost in relation to travel and subsistence payments for staff in the Galway office is outlined in the table below:

The vast bulk of these costs relate to meetings and events in Dublin. Every effort is made to minimize travel and subsistence expenditure by managing the frequency of meetings and the use of ICT, including video conferencing.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 304: To ask the Minister for Defence the total spend of his Department on public advertisements in national and local print media, radio and television for 2009 and to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30306/10]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested in respect of the Department and the Defence Forces is outlined in the table below:

I am satisfied that the above expenditure is appropriate and I remain committed to ensuring that my Department achieves value for money in relation to all forms of advertising.