asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Christmas cards sent out by him and his Parliamentary Secretary; the purchase cost; and the cost of postage.

A total of 1,940 Christmas cards were sent by me at a purchase cost of £120. The overwhelming proportion of these were sent abroad. My Parliamentary Secretary sent 50 cards in his capacity as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The purchase cost of these cards has already been included in the Taoiseach's reply to the parliamentary question. The cost of 153 cards sent by me in my personal capacity has been refunded to the Department.

Since all the cards were posted as part of my Department's normal mail, many of them from missions abroad, it is not possible to cost the postage separately.