Question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mr. Charles Flanagan, TD)
To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount spent by his Department on ministerial drivers and associated travel expenses for each of the past four years; the way this compares to similar expenditure for the four years 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Jerry Buttimer
For WRITTEN ANSWERS on Tuesday, 20 January 2015.
REPLY
The amount spent by my Department on Ministerial drivers and associated travel expenses from 2007 to 2014 is outlined in the tables below.
Ministerial Drivers 2007 to 2010
| MoS Treacy | No. Of Drivers | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Salaries | Nil | €31,742.59 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 2 | €31742.59 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| MoS Roche | No. Of Drivers | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Salaries | Nil | €53,254.20 | €88,486.27 | €87,274.52 | €78,695.09 |
| Subsistence | Nil | €6,484 | €33,091 | €28,988 | €32,526 |
| Total | 2 | €59,738.20 | €121,573.27 | €116,262.52 | €111,221.09 |
| MoS Lenihan | No. Of Drivers | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Salaries | Nil | €17,996.40 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Subsistence | Nil | €5,107 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 1 | €23,103.40 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| MoS M. Kitt | No. Of Drivers | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Salaries | Nil | €37,972 | €37,782.59 | Nil | Nil |
| Subsistence | Nil | €7,649 | €10,116 | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 2 | €45,621 | €47,898.59 | Nil | Nil |
| Mos Power | No. Of Drivers | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Salaries | Nil | Nil | €22,803.41 | €52,265.15 | €73,881.58 |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | €6,575 | €13,713 | €18,728 |
| Total | 2 | Nil | €29,378.41 | €65,978.15 | €92609.58 |
Ministerial Drivers 2011 to 2014
| Mos Roche | No. Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | €35028.67 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Subsistence | Nil | €10,210 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 2 | €45,237.67 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| MoS Creighton | No. Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | €48,680.85 | €72,561 | €24,187 | Nil |
| Subsistence | Nil | €317 | €950 | €617 | Nil |
| Total | 2 | €48,997.85 | €73,511 | €24807 | Nil |
| MoS Donohoe | No. Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | Nil | Nil | €19,272.83 | €44,698.22 |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 2 | Nil | Nil | €19,272.83 | €44,698.22 |
| Minister Flanagan | No. Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €31,547.82 |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €6,184 |
| Total | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil | €37731.82 |
| MoS Deenihan | No Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €32,627.97 |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €5,444 |
| Total | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil | €38,071.97 |
| MoS Murphy | No Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €31,067.14 |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil | €31,067.14 |
| MoS O’Sullivan | No. Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | €46,785 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Subsistence | Nil | €4,560 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| Total | 2 | €51,345 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| MoS Sherlock | No. Of Drivers | 2011 | 2012 | 2014 | 2014 |
| Salaries | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €29,659.42 |
| Subsistence | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | €2,156 |
| Total | 2 | Nil | Nil | Nil | €31,815.42 |
Prior to July 2014 the Minister’s drivers were provided through the Department of Justice and Equality and were not paid from my Department’s Vote.
Payments to Ministerial drivers are made in accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines.