Madam, - In a column headed "Carbon Copies" (Motors, February 14th) Kilian Doyle states that "by my calculations, Ó Cuív's Volvo. . .has carried him around 300,000 kilometres".
This is not the case. Minister Ó Cuív's State car has driven just under 225,000 kilometres since February 2005, when it was first assigned to him. This is the equivalent of just under 140,000 miles over the same two-year period.
In a year, then, Mr Ó Cuív's State car travels approximately 112,000 km or less than 70,000 miles. Therefore, in a month it travels just over 9,000 km or just under 6,000 miles.
Consequently, the time attributed by Mr Doyle of 200 hours per month spent by the Minister in the car is equally incorrect. - Is mise,
ÉADAOIN NÍ MHONGHAILE, Media Adviser, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Dublin 4.