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Breakfasts, photos & cancelled hotels: how Government spent almost €500k on travel in two years

The highest spender was the Department of Foreign Affairs, spending €166,553 on foreign travel since the Government was formed.

THOUSANDS OF EURO spent on breakfasts, photographers and flights to far flung destinations are among some of the travel expenses racked up by Government Ministers since the coalition was formed in 2020.

Almost half a million euro has been spent in the last two and a half years, with some ministers spending significantly more on travel than others.

Other expenses include almost €30,000 being spent on a trade mission to the west coast of the US and over €1,500 that was spent on cancelled hotels in Brussels.

Since the Government was first formed, at least €473,116 has been spent on foreign travel by the coalition.

These expenses are not solely for Government ministers, with the total spend also reflecting the cost of bringing ministerial advisors and other departmental staff abroad.

The data itself was released to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín in a series of parliamentary questions.

However, up to date figures from the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications were not available.

With only two 2020 and 2021 accounted for, Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s department was among the highest spending department on foreign travel. Data on travel expenses for 2022 have not yet been published.

This includes €2,606 spent on photography services when the Taoiseach visited New York in December 2021 for a meeting of the UN General Assembly.

These included photography services at the 9/11 memorial and at the Assembly itself.

During the trip, the Taoiseach and his delegation spent €1,010 on breakfast charges at the Fitzpatrick Hotel in New York City.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Taoiseach said that all travel was “in line with the Department’s Travel Policy” and that it adhered to guidelines set down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

“The Department seeks at all times to ensure best value for money is sought in respect of each official trip undertaken, consistent with the requirements of official business,” the spokesperson added.

Overall, the biggest spender is the Department of Foreign Affairs, with €166,553 being spent on foreign travel in the last two and a half years.

90426258 A file image of the Government Learjet from 2016 RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Since the formation of the Government, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has travelled abroad 53 times, including multiple trips to Iran and the United States.

Coveney’s trips abroad are mainly to Europe, particularly to meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council in either Brussels or Luxembourg.

Coveney has spent a total of 135 days travelling abroad as Minister for Foreign Affairs and an additional 19 days under his capacity as Minister for Defence

The biggest expense by the Department of Foreign Affairs so far was a four day trip to the Gulf States, where Coveney visited both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh at a total cost of €18,643.

Other high cost trips included a five day trip to both New York and Washington to attend the UN General Assembly at €17,360 and a three day Ministerial visit to China, which cost €15,444.

Responding to the PQ, Coveney said: “The work of the Department of Foreign Affairs necessitates a considerable amount of overseas travel.”

“The central aim of the Departmental travel policy is to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties.”

The third highest spender at the Cabinet table was Tourism Minister Catherine Martin, whose Department spent €97,478 on international travel since the coalition began.

This included €29,171 spent on a week-long trip to the west coast of the US last May, where €25,581 was spent on transport alone for the Minister and three others in her Ministerial delegation.

A total of €23,638 was spent on a five day trip to the United Arab Emirates, while €22,062 was spent on a week-long trip to Argentina.

Martin has previously received scrutiny for her travels, with reports in early July of how she travelled first class to Argentina as part of the St Patrick’s Day trade missions.

When questioned on it last month, Martin said that she tries to limit her air travel as much as possible, but as tourism minister it wasn’t always possible.

Future of Media report 003 Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended Tourism Minister Catherine Martin on her decisions to fly business class Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

Martin said that the trade missions she undertook had a “packed itinerary” and flying in business class on long haul flights was “in line with policy”.

“It depends on the itinerary, it depends on the trade mission. If it’s needed, then yes, if it’s not needed, then absolutely not. It depends,” said Martin.

The Taoiseach agreed, saying that the itinerary for individual trade missions are packed and that it was important for ministers to “hit the ground running”.

“Most of these missions are work-based. You have to hit the ground running from here. In other words, you work up to the time you get on the plane and you’re going to hit the ground running when you get off a plane,” the Taoiseach added.

However, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín questioned the spending by Martin and said it was “an enormous amount of spending for just one department”.

“I’d love to know what was gained with these excursions – this €100,000 out of the public purse spent on flights and hotels – what has the Minister learned on her trips abroad – what knowledge or concrete benefits has she brought home to Ireland,” Tóibín said.

In a statement to The Journal, Martin’s Department of Tourism said that with the easing of pandemic restrictions, the minister’s involvement in tourism and trade missions was part of a government drive to help restore inbound tourism into Ireland.

The statement says, the trips “are organised by Tourism Ireland and are designed to build awareness internationally of Ireland as a tourist destination and to grow visitor numbers and revenue from overseas tourism.”

Martin’s department also said that “75% of tourism revenue in Ireland is made up from international visitors, and these missions are an important element of the tourism rebuilding effort, in line with the Programme for Government commitments around tourism, in support of the recovery of the sector and to help support employment in Ireland”.

It continues: “As Minister for arts, culture, sport and media the Minister’s role involves the promotion of Irish arts and culture internationally, including the audio-visual sector which is estimated to be worth over €500 million in 2021 and supports 12,000 local jobs.”

Additional reporting by Stephen McDermott

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    Mute damian
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    Aug 16th 2022, 12:43 AM

    Sounds reasonable enough. Travel is expensive, hotels are expensive. I don’t see an issue with anything in the article. If it’s within their travel policy, then there’s nothing to see here folks!

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Aug 16th 2022, 12:48 AM

    @damian: care to explain the hullabaloo mentioned in my post above then???

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    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
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    Aug 16th 2022, 6:17 AM

    @damian: Tourism is worth 9.5BN to the economy, half a million in travel to boost that is alright by me.

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    Mute Sea-point Point
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    Aug 16th 2022, 3:56 AM

    Nonsense article, without actually stating it The Journal is suggesting 500k over 2.5 years is some sort of major overspend. Are they suggesting Minister’s and advisers stay in Formula1 grade Hotels in Industrial estates on the outskirts of Northern European cities, miles from venues and services to save some money. Absolute nonsense, if you wouldn’t do that for your own business then why woukd you suggest that for representitives of the Government and our Nation? Start sticking them in cheaper hotels miles from everything and the costs come back in additional transport and greater security risks. As long as there’s some due diligence done on trips to minimise costs and at same time provide the best value for money for the exchequer, then the countries interests are looked after…

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    Mute Ian McDonald
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    Aug 16th 2022, 7:14 AM

    @Sea-point Point: you got there before me. A load of tripe. Since when is 2 years the new benchmark for measuring data? Those figures are perfectly reasonable when measured annually. Another attempt by TheJournal to make a story out of nothing, and they ask us to contribute donations so they can churn out more of this rubbish

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    Mute Geraldine O'Riordan
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    Aug 16th 2022, 12:31 AM

    Imagine what they would have spent if we had not been locked down for 2 years with Covid-19

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Aug 16th 2022, 12:53 AM

    @Geraldine O’Riordan: That would be an ecumenical matter Geraldine.

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    Mute Sean O Callaghan
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    Aug 16th 2022, 2:53 AM

    Would you get a house in Malahide Howth or Dalkey for that? You wouldn’t have much change if you bought in Finglas, Phibsbirough Cabra or Bally bleedin’ Fermot. Non story. Wooden spoon journalism.

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    Mute Robert Moore
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    Aug 16th 2022, 12:37 AM

    Enough to pay a good few student nurses.

    66
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    Mute Eoin Roche
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    Aug 16th 2022, 7:47 AM

    Considering the importance to this Country of foreign trade and investment and also tourism and global cultural links, especially after Brexit when we’ve become even a little more remote, 500k could be the best value exchequer spending of the lot.

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Aug 16th 2022, 12:32 AM

    Didn’t some of the same government ministers recently make a whole hullabaloo about business/ first class travel, over a greater distance btw, which wasn’t paid for out of public funds!!!!?

    58
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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Aug 16th 2022, 1:24 AM

    @M Bowe: Exactly these are government ministers, not wannabe ladies in waiting.

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Aug 16th 2022, 2:00 AM

    @lelookcoco: so it ok because they are government ministers at the public trough. You’re definitely FFG material.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Aug 16th 2022, 2:20 AM

    @M Bowe: 100 percent correct with that comment. FFFG apologist so he/she is.

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    Mute OnlyHereForTheComments
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    Aug 16th 2022, 2:24 AM

    @M Bowe: It’s ok because they are government ministers on official business. They should fly business class, they should take a government jet, they should stay in 4 and 5 star hotels, you know, like the leaders of other countries do. Plenty of things to be faux outraged about without trying to create a non story about legitimate business travel simply to get faux outraged about that too.

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    Mute Sean O Callaghan
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    Aug 16th 2022, 3:01 AM

    @M Bowe: Ah yeah, but in fairness I reckon he’s aware that the snouts behind his arus are gagging to get to the trough.

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    Mute Sean O Callaghan
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    Aug 16th 2022, 3:02 AM

    @Paul Gorry: How’s the Palace?

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    Mute potnoodle
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    Aug 16th 2022, 8:56 AM

    @M Bowe: That’s different that was SF, when in government they are always right.

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    Mute joe oneill
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    Aug 16th 2022, 6:44 AM

    Wow family members and hanger on’s are now known as “advisors”.

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    Mute Tom Halpin
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    Aug 16th 2022, 8:05 AM

    Constant references to Aontu leader. He’s their only TD so what is he leading in the Dail?

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    Mute damian
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    Aug 16th 2022, 7:44 PM

    @Tom Halpin: Himself. Party of 1! :)

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    Mute CryptoFactor ☘️
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    Aug 16th 2022, 9:00 AM

    When I work for the SEC (state exams) I get paid travel expenses from home or work, whichever is CLOSER to the school I am a superintendent in. So if I drive 60km to work and the school is 70km from my home, they only pay me for 10km @0.49c. So for driving 70km I get €4.90. This applied to all government departments EXCEPT for ministers.

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    Mute damian
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    Aug 16th 2022, 7:46 PM

    @CryptoFactor ☘️: cabinet ministers usually don’t drive their own vehicle though? The top ones have a garda driver? No? Regular TDs also live all around the country. I suppose they need to have different rules for these circumstances.

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    Mute John Kenny
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    Aug 16th 2022, 10:18 AM

    Neccessary expenses in order to govern.

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    Mute Stephen Kearon
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    Aug 16th 2022, 10:44 AM

    Shock horror, Dept of FOREIGN Affairs spent most on Foreign travel!

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    Mute Seamus Quaide
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    Aug 16th 2022, 6:34 AM

    They need a bit of comfort too…..the craters.

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    Mute Tony Harris
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    Aug 16th 2022, 4:10 PM

    Appears reasonable. (Apart from the +2k cost of a photographer for the gaffer in NY)

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    Mute K Flan
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    Aug 17th 2022, 5:12 AM

    Why was this article published? V poor journalism as this is not a story. Sounds v reasonable if not cheap to me and as if the author is trying to suggest otherwise.

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