Government officials chalk up credit card expenses of €900,000

POLITICIANS and public servants charged €900,775 in credit card expenses last year doing "official" State business, an Irish Examiner survey has revealed.

But the real figure is much higher because three Government departments refused to reveal how much their politicians and civil servants spent on credit cards on the grounds that they did not compile these specific records.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell, Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Micheál Martin and Arts, Sport and Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue are in charge of the departments who refused this Freedom of Information (FoI) request.