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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 31 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 9

Written Answers. - Ministers' of State Travel Expenses.

Patrick McCartan

Question:

112 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Finance the amounts paid to Junior Ministers for mileage expenses over the past ten years; the way in which these compare to when Junior Ministers were provided with State cars; if there has been any savings to the Exchequer in the payment for mileage scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

All payments in respect of official travelling by Ministers of State are made by the Departments/Offices concerned, and in the time available it is not possible for me to furnish full details of all such payments over the nine-year period since the current arrangements were introduced.

However from the data that are available the mileage payments, since the current system was introduced, are estimated to be: 1984, £184,000; 1985, £217,000; 1986, £198,000; 1987, £182,000; 1988, £235,000; 1989, £240,000; 1990, £232,000; 1991, £236,000.

The average mileage payment to a Minister of State is now approximately £17,000. In addition to mileage allowances, payments in respect of salaries and expenses to the civilian drivers assigned to Ministers of State averaged £33,000 a year in each case, entailing total expenditure of £50,000 on average in respect of each officeholder. These figures represent less than half the costs which the State would have incurred in 1991 under the arrangements that operated prior to 1983, i.e. the provision of State cars and Garda drivers for Ministers of State.
I can therefore assure the Deputy that the travel arrangements now applicable to Ministers of State continue to produce very substantial savings in so far as the Exchequer is concerned.
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