Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the costs of providing hardware and software to his home and the home of Junior Minister in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12371/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that I was provided with an iPad 2 at a cost of €519 (including VAT). This is a mobile device allowing remote access from any location outside of my Department.

I can also advise that my Department has not supplied any equipment to the home of Ms. Kathleen Lynch, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Older People, Equality and Mental Health.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the costs of providing telephone in the homes of Ministers and Junior Ministers in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12389/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that since my appointment as Minister for Justice and Equality my Department has borne no costs relative to my home telephone or that of Ms. Kathleen Lynch, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Older People, Equality and Mental Health.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of telephones and ICT provided to the constituency offices including monthly phone bills of Ministers and Junior Ministers in his Department since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12408/13]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if any additional costs other than telephones, ICT and monthly phone bills are being paid to constituency office by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12426/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together.

I can inform the Deputy that I have no external constituency office but I have established one in the Department of Justice and Equality. It is not possible to disaggregate costs including telephone costs from other data for the period in question. IT assets deployed in this office are from existing stock so no additional costs are therefore incurred. Staff in the office use the Department's IT Shared Service and are supported in the same manner as the other users of that service.

I can also inform the Deputy that my Department does not supply any equipment or pay any of the day to day costs incurred in the constituency office of Ms. Kathleen Lynch, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Older People, Equality and Mental Health. The Minister of State does not have a constituency office within my Department.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of mobile phones in use by him and Junior Minister and politically appointed staff; the total costs of the mobile phones since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12444/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that the total cost of the mobile phones used by me and my politically appointed staff between 1 March 2011 and 28 February 2013 is contained in the following table:

I can also confirm that my Department does not supply or pay any bills for mobile phones used by Ms. Kathleen Lynch, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Older People, Equality and Mental Health or her staff.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of drivers of each vehicle assigned to him and Junior Ministers in his Department since March 2011; the mileage and other costs claimed in respect of each since March 2011; the overall yearly costs of Ministerial cars in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12462/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, shortly after the current Government took office in March 2011 it decided to introduce a number of very significant changes in respect of the provision of Office Holder transport. One of the consequences of that decision was that the transport arrangements in place for Ministers of State became applicable to Government Ministers, subject to very limited exceptions on security grounds. In addition, it was decided that former Presidents and Taoisigh would only be supplied with official transport for important State occasions. The revised transport arrangements came into operation for Government Ministers on 1 May 2011 and for former Office Holders on 16 June 2011.

The Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote. In that context, I am informed by the Garda authorities that records in relation to the cost of providing Office Holder transport have not been maintained in a manner which allow for the identification of costs associated with individual Office Holders. However, the Garda authorities have indicated that total expenditure on the provision of Office Holder transport in 2010, 2011 and 2012 was as outlined in the following table:

With regard to the table, some of the costs arising in 2011 included costs associated with the service prior to and after the new transport arrangements had been introduced.

No transport costs for Ministers of State have been paid by my Department in the period since March 2011.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of credit cards issued to staff and Ministers in his Department and the total costs of each card since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12481/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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There are currently a total of four official credit cards held in my Department. These comprise of two Executive Visa Corporate Cards and two Visa Business Cards. The total cost of these cards for the period in question are, €430 for each of the Executive Visa Corporate Cards and €98.10 for each of the Visa Business Cards.

As the Deputy will no doubt be aware, credit cards of this nature are no more than a tool which facilitates the efficient discharge of Departmental business; in many cases it is not possible to procure goods and services without a credit card where for example suppliers insist on advance payment.