The total cost of Ministerial transport in my Department from 2010 to date, along with the number of civilian drivers employed in each year is set out in the table.
Year
|
No. of Civilian drivers
|
Total Ministerial transport costs €
|
2010
|
6
|
207,336.13
|
2011
|
6
|
196,144.10
|
2012
|
4
|
224,844.89
|
2013
|
4
|
79,241.83
|
The costs include all payments made to civilian drivers and the mileage expenses of the Ministers of State during the period concerned and to myself since March 2011. Foreign travel costs are not included. The system for the provision of transport for Ministers changed from the use of official to private cars on the appointment of the Government in March 2011. The average annual cost of providing a state car under the previous administration in 2010 was €280,000.