Written answers
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Departmental Expenditure
8:00 pm
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide mileage payments made annually since 2007 to staff for travel purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3943/11]
Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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All payments made to staff in my Department for use of private cars for official travel are in accordance with the Department of Finance guidelines and procedures. The payments made in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and to date in 2011, are set out in the table. The amount shown for 2010 includes payments made in respect of staff transferred into my Department on foot of the reconfiguration of Departmental functions announced last March.
Table: Amounts paid for use of private car on official business
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011(to date) |
| â'¬362,338 | â'¬386,299 | â'¬211,673 | â'¬225,109 | â'¬2,411 |
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if the Ministers of State in his Department have drivers; the salary provided to each driver annually since 2007; the expenses provided to the Ministers of State for use of their car or mileage annually since 2007; the familial relationship between the Minister and the driver if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3958/11]
Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Ministers of State are paid expenses towards the usage for official purposes of their private cars and, in this regard, can engage two civilian drivers, who work on a week on/week off rota.
Details requested in relation to drivers employed on behalf of Ministers of State by my Department since 2007 are set out in Table 1.
TABLE 1
| Minister of State | Civilian Drivers | Salary 2007 | Salary 2008 | Salary 2009 | Salary 2010 | Salary 2011 |
| Conor Lenihan, T.D. | Tom Collins | â¬12,324 | - | - | - | - |
| 29.6.07-1.11.07 | John Fogarty | â¬12,246 | - | - | - | - |
| Pat Carey, T.D. | Derek Brannigan | â¬17,661 | â¬15,273 | - | - | - |
| 21.6.07-7.5.08 | Kenneth Swift | â¬17,661 | â¬15,143 | - | - | - |
| John Curran, T.D. | James Clifford | - | â¬20,593 | â¬36,959 | â¬8,999 | - |
| 13.5.08-23.3.10 | Anthony Murphy | - | â¬21,247 | â¬36,976 | â¬8,747 | - |
| Mary White, T.D.23.3.10-23.1.11 | Michael Talbot * | - | - | - | â¬24,007 | - |
| James O'Brien | - | - | - | â¬24,638 | â¬1,895 | |
| Peter Pearce | - | - | - | â¬1,264 | â¬1,895 |
* resigned on 5.12.10
A total of â¬63,980 was paid to Ministers of State in the period 2007-10 in respect of usage of their private cars for official purposes, as set out in Table 2.
TABLE 2
| Minister of State | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Pat Carey, T.D. | â¬9,012 | â¬9,344 | - | - |
| John Curran, T.D. | â¬9,527 | â¬12,406 | â¬4,106 | |
| Mary White, T.D. | - | - | - | â¬19,585 |
For completeness, I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not employ civilian drivers on behalf of Mr John Moloney, T.D., who has been Minister of State at my Department with responsibility for Disability and Mental Health since 23 March 2010. In addition, no payments were made to Ministers of State Conor Lenihan or John Moloney in respect of usage of their private cars for official purposes during the periods referred to by the Deputy.
I have not been made aware of any familial relationships between the relevant Ministers of State and their respective drivers.
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