Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Nov 1993

Vol. 435 No. 10

Written Answers. - Cost of Parliamentary Questions.

Pat Upton

Question:

146 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Health the number of parliamentary questions for oral and written answer, respectively, tabled to his Department since the formation of the present Government; and the total cost of dealing with these questions.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The number of parliamentary questions tabled to the Minister for Health since the formation of the present Government is:

For oral answer	564
For written answer	1,034
Total	1,598

As to the cost involved, I would refer the Deputy to the reply to a similar question on 23 June 1992. In that reply it was stated that an extensive survey of Government Departments in 1982 revealed that the average cost of answering a parliamentary question was about £40. Taking into account the general level of inflation since 1982 the equivalent cost today would be in the region of £65.