Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent of money spent on ministerial transport in his Department for each of the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. [31600/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The ministerial transport expenses paid to me and my colleagues, Ministers of State, Deputies Michael Ring and Alan Kelly, are published on the Departments website, www.dttas.ie .

There are additional costs incurred for ministerial car transport in the form of salaries and expenses paid to drivers. In 2011 these amounted to:

Minister Varadkar

Salaries for two drivers - €48,174

Mileage expenses paid to two drivers - €6,243

Total - €54,417

Minister of State Kelly

Salaries for two drivers - €59,091

Mileage expenses paid to two drivers - €9,888

Total - €68,979

Minister of State Ring

Salaries for two drivers - €53,759

Mileage expenses paid to two drivers - €10,952

Total - €64,711

The figures for ministerial transport in 2009 and 2010 is not readily available, and I will forward them to the Deputy as soon as possible. This information will be in respect of Ministers who were in the then Department of Transport, and not those who were in the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.

However, the Deputy will be well aware that in 2009 and 2010, Cabinet Ministers' transport was provided by use of State cars and Garda drivers. For the Deputy's information I am advised that the average cost of the provision of a State Car and Garda drivers during the last government was around €280,000 per annum.