Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 April 2008
392 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his Department has a strategy to reduce the level of printed correspondence, communications, reports and other documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12793/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith the advent of new technology, and the widespread availability of the internet in particular, it has increasingly been possible for the Department to publish and/or make available reports, documents and other relevant information on its website and to circulate such material electronically, thereby reducing the level of printed material it produces. To illustrate this, I can inform the Deputy that the print run for the Department's annual report for 2007 will be one-third of that for 2005. Similarly, a significant proportion of correspondence, both internal and external, now takes place electronically. Nevertheless, a requirement still exists to produce material in printed format for a range of reasons, including to facilitate those who do no have ready internet access, and my Department will continue to examine, on a case by case basis, the appropriate level of printed correspondence, communications, reports and other documents that it should use.
