Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amounts spent by previous Ministers and Ministers of State within his Department on subsistence, mobile phone communications and recouped expenses, with indications given to the portion that are both vouched and unvouched for each year from 1 January 2007 to 9 March 2011 inclusive; the extent of such expenditure that was discharged directly by his Department on behalf of the Minister concerned; the extent to which the expenditure was discharged by credit card directly by or on behalf of the Minister involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35501/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The table below sets out the amounts spent by previous Ministers and Ministers of State within my Department on subsistence for each year from 1 January 2007 to 9 March 2011 inclusive. This table also includes unvouched expenses paid to Ministers and Ministers of State within that period.

There were also some subsistence expenses that were discharged by credit card. In this regard, the total amounts of Ministerial subsistence expenses discharged by credit card during the period in question are set out on a separate table attached herewith.

In relation to mobile phone communications and recouped expenses, the position is that my Department provides mobile phones/Smartphones to Ministers and Ministers of State for use in the course of their official duties. The attached breakdown of costs details costs in respect of mobile phones and Smartphones issued by my Department to Ministers and Ministers of State during the period from 2007 to March 2011.

The information provided contains details of mobile phone charges incurred by Ministers and Ministers of State together with details of mobile phone costs recouped from those Ministers. It includes the total costs of, a) service charges (line rental and data allowances),

and b) usage charges (calls, texts, internet, roaming charges etc) and c) VAT applicable on the total value of these elements. The information also details the costs recouped by my Department in respect of personal usage i.e. non-official calls, texts, internet usage, roaming charges plus VAT during this period.