Government officials use 300 credit cards

Mary Dundon, Political Reporter

The information was secured by Fine Gael TD and communications spokesman Bernard Durkan through a series of parliamentary questions.

However, he was very disappointed with the lack of further information from the 15 departments.

"They told me that 299 credit cards are currently issued for official business but I was not told how much each department spent I just presumed it would be included," Mr Durkan said.

He has now tabled further parliamentary questions to find out exactly how much was spent by each person and how this is monitored to ensure the system is not being abused.

It was revealed before Christmas that ministers in 11 departments spent E67,200 on Government credit cards in the first eight months of last year on items such as dinner at Michelin-star hotels.

Three of the top four credit card bills were incurred by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Mary Harney, who was minister in that Department until September when she moved to Health, spent E22,295 on her credit card during the first eight months E13,743 was spent on official business.

Mr Durkan said that outside of these 11 ministers, 288 other credit cards were used for Government business and he wants to know how much was spent on them last year.

"You must have very strict control on credit cards and their uses this is public money," he said.

The Department of Agriculture had the highest number of credit cards at 124, followed by Enterprise, Trade and Employment at 46 and Justice at 29.

But the Departments of Agriculture and Justice said a large amount of their corporate credit cards are paid by officials travelling abroad themselves who then reclaim these expenses.

The Department of the Taoiseach has 22 credit cards, including Mr Ahern's, who was one of the lowest spenders, clocking up a total of 307 on his credit card in the first eight months of last year.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has 21 credit cards; Transport 15; Finance 14; Communications, Marine and Natural Resources 12; Health and Children nine; Arts/Sports and Tourism eight; Social and Family Affairs seven; Environment four; Defence four; Education three, and Community and Rural Affairs two.

Mr Durkan said he was not happy with Justice Minister Michael McDowell's reply that he could not determine the use of credit cards in his department because such an exercise would be an "unwarranted and disproportionate" use of staff and other resources.

"Parliamentary questions are now the only way of getting detailed information from Government now, especially since the emasculation of the Freedom of Information Act."