(Dublin Central) asked the Minister for Finance the latest figure available for the cost of the rental of office accommodation for the staff of Government Departments.

The total amount of rents currently payable for Government offices in Dublin and the provinces amounts to approximately £2,215,000 a year.

(Dublin Central): Are comparable figures for previous years available?

No.

(Dublin Central): Does that figure include offices abroad?

No.

(Dublin Central): It does not include rent for offices abroad?

No. The figure supplied does not include ground rents for buildings held on lease and neither does it include the rent of embassies abroad. Rents of the latter are subject to currency changes and the figures are difficult to assess accurately. I have no figures for any previous years.

Is the total figure given spent in Dublin and, if not, how much is spent in provincial areas?

Dublin, Department of Posts and Telegraphs, £387,489; other Government Departments, £1,609,534; in the provinces, Department of Posts and Telegraphs, £85,174; other Government Departments in the provinces, £132,694.

So about 10 per cent is spent in the provinces.