Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 661: To ask the Minister for Health the annual cost of the new scheme introduced for the provision of drivers for Ministers in 2011 and to date in 2012; if he will provide a comparison of the annual cost of the provision of civilian drivers and the Ministers using their own cars with the previous scheme of Garda drivers and State cars. [25377/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The cost of providing transport to me as Minister under new arrangements was €82,110 in 2011 and €37,139 to date in 2012.

While my Department was not responsible for paying the cost of Garda drivers and State Cars etc. under previous arrangements, on 25th April 2012 my colleague, Mr Michael Noonan, T.D., Minister for Finance, in response to a Parliamentary Question, indicated that the average cost of transport for Ministers under that previous arrangement was €280,000 per annum per Minister. This appears to be significantly more expensive than current arrangements.