State packs up €8m bill on courier services

GOVERNMENT departments have spent almost €8 million on courier and packaging services over the last four years, official figures have revealed.

The year-by-year breakdown from each ministerial department shows the biggest spend last year was by the Department of Foreign Affairs, whose minister Dermot Ahern said 96% of the €572,613.34 paid was used on diplomatic bag and freight services to and from 69 overseas missions.

The figures, which show a €1.87m spend in 2004, were supplied by 13 government departments to Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan.