Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12366/13]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12384/13]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12403/13]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12421/13]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12439/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 398 to 402, inclusive, together.

The information requested is set out in the following table.

My Department does not fund the costs of providing the above mentioned services to the offices of Minister of State O’Dowd.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12457/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In line with Government policy, I do not use a State car. My Department has employed two civilian drivers since May 2011 for driving duties in my own car in line with approved arrangements, and their salary and subsistence costs, together with the mileage costs paid to me to date, are set out in the Table. The Table also sets out similar costs for the Ministers of State in my Department since the present Government was formed.

My Department spent a total of €130,946 on transport costs for former Minister of State Finneran in 2010. My predecessor’s transport costs under the previous scheme of Garda drivers and State cars for 201 0 are a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government 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. [12476/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department has issued credit cards to the 8 office holders listed below. The Table also sets out the total amount spent on each credit card since March 2011.

Departmental credit cards are issued for authorised official use only in circumstances where a strong business case has been established. Cards are withdrawn when the business case no longer exists and transferred into the name of the incoming officer, as appropriate, when there is a reassignment of duties.

Credit cards are issued to the private secretaries to the Minister and Ministers of State to facilitate payment for goods or services which would prove more difficult under normal invoicing arrangements, such as reserving hotel accommodation abroad. In the cases of Met Éireann and ICT, the credit cards are used to facilitate the purchase of ICT hardware and software licences and for the renewal of subscriptions to work-related publications. The remaining three staff have been issued with credit cards to facilitate the conduct of official business during the Irish Presidency.