I propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 210 and 211 together.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the number of occasions when ministerial cars were referred to main dealers since 1 January 2004 was 159.
There are currently 50 State cars, including spares and presidential vehicles. It is necessary to maintain spares to cater for emergencies, such as accidents or breakdowns and servicing. The following makes and models, including spares, form part of the ministerial fleet: Mercedes E320; Mercedes E280; Mercedes E240; Saab 9-5 SE 2.0; Volvo S80 ; Volvo S70 T5; Opel Vectra 2.2 ; Lexus GS 300 Executive; and Rolls Royce Silver Wraith The acquisition and servicing costs of the ministerial fleet are accounted for in the Garda Vote. The actual and projected costs for 2003 and 2004 respectively are as detailed in the table below.
Costs
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
€
|
€
|
Acquisition
|
368,000
|
495,000
|
Maintenance
|
196,000
|
220,000
|
Total
|
564,000
|
715,000
|