Vol. 440 No. 7
111 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total number of mobile telephones issued to persons in his office or those of his Ministers of State in the past 15 months; the rank of each user; if each user has a telephone allowance; the entire cost of the service including capital cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
113 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost, if any, in respect of travel and accommodation for programme managers, advisers, assistants or others attached to his office in the past 15 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is proposed to take Questions No. 111 and 113 together.
The cost of staffing and overheads of my office and the office of the Minister of State at my Department amounted to £620,000, approximately, in 1993. The expenditure to date in 1994 is £180,000, approximately. I do not believe that the costs of giving detailed breakdowns of this information are justified by any benefit arising.
