63. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of State owned cars and vans attached to each Irish Consulate General Office in the US; the ages of each of those vehicles, in tabular form. [52711/26]

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade purchases motor vehicles to facilitate the efficient functioning and smooth operations of the Department, including its Diplomatic Missions abroad. In particular, Mission staff are required to undertake a significant volume of travel in the performance of their official functions. This ranges from city journeys during the working day and in the evening, to long journeys of up to several hundred miles by road. As well as demanding schedules, in many cases there are also issues related to limited availability of public transport, security considerations and location. Official vehicles also provide an important logistical support to Missions. Below is a table setting out the requested information in relation to vehicles assigned to Consulates General of Ireland in the United States of America.