asked the Taoiseach in respect of himself and each Minister of State assigned to his Department, the total cost including air and surface transport, accommodation, subsistence, drivers' pay and car expenses of all travel at home and abroad in the year ending 31 December 1984.
Written Answers. - Ministerial Travelling Expenses.
273.
Exclusive of official transport costs, and the provision for refunding transport costs now applicable to Ministers of State other than the Government Chief Whip the costs involved under the above headings in 1984 were:
|
Total |
Home |
Foreign |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
Taoiseach |
9,135.31 |
73.00 |
9,062.31 |
|
Minister of State and Government Chief Whip, Seán Barrett, TD |
2,962.93 |
Nil |
2,962.93 |
|
Minister of State with responsibility for Arts and Culture, Ted Nealon, TD |
3,637.91 |
52.81 |
3,585.10 |
|
Minister fo State with responsibility for Women's Affairs, Nuala Fennell, TD |
4,167.54 |
319.77 |
3,847.77 |
The average cost of official transport per member of the Government in 1984 was £78,000. The refunding of transport costs amounted to £40,903.64 in the case of the Minister of State with responsibility for Arts and Culture and £6,923.41 in the case of the Minister of State with responsibility for Women's Affairs.
The estimated cost of official car transport (i.e. £78,000) which applies to the cars of Government Ministers also applies to that used by the Leader of the Opposition. A figure of £2,000 in respect of the occasional use of official car transport by the Minister of State with responsibility for Women's Affairs — who does not employ official drivers — is included in the figure of £6,923.41 above.
The figures do not include the costs of air transport provided for the Taoiseach and Ministers of State by the Air Corps and met from the Defence Vote — these costs are not available on an individual basis.