Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 404: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the total spend by her Department on carbon offsets for official travel undertaken by her and her Minister of State for 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; to whom this money, if any, has been awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30277/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under the Government's carbon offsetting scheme my Department makes a single payment in respect of all official travel undertaken by the Department, covering both Ministerial travel and travel by Departmental officials. It is therefore not possible to disaggregate the total amounts to determine the amounts paid in respect of Ministerial travel. Payments are made annually for calendar years and the payment for 2010 has not yet been made.

The total amounts paid by my Department in respect of carbon offsetting for all official travel for the period since the start date of the scheme in 2007 to the end of 2009 is as follows: 14 June - 31 December 2007 - €1,640 1 January - 31 December 2008 - €2,854 1 January - 31 December 2009 - €1,902

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 405: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the total cost of travel and subsistence to public servants in her 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 she will state to whom this money, if any, has been awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30292/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in the requested format and would involve a very significant amount of administrative time to compile.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 406: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the total spend of her Department on public advertisements in national and local print media, radio and television for 2009 and to date in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30307/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department incurs expenditure on public advertisements in connection with a wide range of educational programmes and schemes including, staff appointments in the education sector; invitations to attend local hearings; invitations to forward submissions on education-related schemes/projects; invitations to tender for school building projects. Such advertising is placed in the print media. No expenditure was incurred in respect of radio or television advertising.

In accordance with a Government decision in July 2008 my Department took steps to reduce expenditure on advertising. Expenditure in 2007 was €816,000 and was reduced to €340,000 in 2008. With ongoing efforts to reduce advertising costs to a minimum the total amount spent by my Department on advertising in 2009 and to date in 2010 is as follows, 2009 - €172,322.09 2010 - € 51,490.20 (to the end of May)