Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Finance the extent of money spent on ministerial transport in his Department for each of the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. [31594/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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In response to the Deputy's question the amounts spent on ministerial transport by my Department in the period in question are as follows: 2009

Approximately €6,942 was spent by my Department on ministerial transport in 2009. €6,337 was spent in relation to the provision of transport for my predecessor Minister Lenihan while attending various meetings held in Brussels, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Milan and Luxembourg. In addition Minister Lenihan used a commercial flight to attend the St Patrick's Day celebrations in London. The cost of the flight was €360. On 3rd October a commercial flight was taken by the Minister of State Martin Mansergh to attend an IMF/World Bank meeting in place of Minister Lenihan. The cost of this flight was €245.

The Deputy will be aware that in 2009 the Minister was provided with the use of a State car and Garda drivers. The estimated overall cost under the previous domestic Ministerial transport regime for each Minister was €280,000 per annum.

2010

In 2010, €2,390 was spent on ministerial transport by my Department. €2,105 was spent on car hire in respect of meetings attended by Minister Lenihan in Brussels, Washington and New York. In addition Minister of State Martin Mansergh represented the Department of Finance at a Eurogroup and ECOFIN meeting on the 12th and 13th July 2010. He took commercial flights to attend this meeting. The cost of the flights amounted to €285.

As in 2009, the Minister was provided with the use of a State car and Garda drivers. The estimated overall cost under the previous domestic Ministerial transport regime for each Minister was €280,000.

2011

In the period January to March 2011, €215 was spent on car hire in Brussels in relation to meetings attended by Minister Lenihan.

Since taking office in March 2011 my Department has incurred the following costs in relation to transport provided to me as Minister for Finance:

I undertook a number of commercial flights to attend meetings in Paris, the US, Luxembourg and London. The total cost for these flights amounted to €6,972. In addition €3,594 was spent in relation to car hire for meetings attended by me in Brussels, the US and Paris. Since 1 May 2011 all Cabinet Ministers with the exception of Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice & Law Reform now use their own cars on official business. In relation to the use of my car for Ministerial travel, the total cost has been €92,255 for the period May — December 2011. This cost included mileage (which is to cover car related expenses), the salaries paid to civilian drivers and the travel and subsistence paid to the drivers. This amount is significantly below the €280,000 average annual cost under the previous domestic Ministerial transport regime for each Minister.

In addition Minister of State Brian Hayes travelled to a Meeting in Paris on the 29th and 30th June 2011. The cost of the commercial flights taken amounted to €429.