Nine ministers use Leinster House for Christmas cards

Nine ministers were among the 47 Oireachtas members who used the Leinster House printing service to produce personalised Christmas cards, documents released under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) show.

Independent TD Terence Flanagan got the most cards printed at 4,000 , while Fine Gael Mayo deputy Michelle Mulherin obtained the second highest number at 3,200. TDs and Senators send the individualised cards to constituents and others.

Fine Gael Ministers Michael Noonan, Leo Varadkar, James Reilly and Richard Bruton availed of the perk, which is open to all Oireachtas members.

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Former minister for education Ruairí Quinn chose an architect’s drawing of Leinster House.

Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe and Ministers of State Simon Harris, Joe McHugh, Damien English and Dara Murphy also used the service.

Independent Senator David Norris put his face on the front of 2,000 cards.

The names of the 47 TDs and Senators, out of the full 225, who had cards printed were released to The Irish Times following an FoI request to the Houses of the Oireachtas. A total of 42,850 cards were printed last year. The figure was well down on previous years.

The cost to taxpayers was €2,305. This excludes the cost of prepaid envelopes, which Oireachtas members are entitled to use.

Mr Varadkar and many others chose a standard ‘Leinster House in the snow’ scene.

However, former minister for education Ruairí Quinn chose an architect’s drawing of Leinster House. His card contained a message thanking recipients for their “many messages of goodwill and appreciation” since he announced he would not contest the next general election. Mr Quinn is an architect by trade.

The inside of Kerry South Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae’s card offered best wishes from the deputy’s family and features a photograph of the Kerry deputy with his late father, son and brother.

Mr Flanagan chose a three wise men and camels design while Ms Mulherin’s card featured a winter scene from Ballina in her Mayo constituency.

Many of the cards contained contact details, including phone and fax numbers, email addresses and Twitter handles.

There has been a sharp drop in the number of TDs and Senators sending taxpayer­funded Christmas cards, possibly because elected representatives fear irritating their constituents. In 2012, a total of 217,020 cards were produced in Leinster House for 132 TDs and Senators at a cost of €9,621.90.

Politicians' Christmas cards have caused controversy in the past. Residents in the Dublin Central constituency complained about receiving multiple cards in prepaid Oireachtas envelopes from former taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2009.

Former senator Ivor Callely’s 2004 card featured a photograph of him and his family posing at the Fry Model Railway Museum in Malahide.