ENDA KENNY IS no stranger to the camera and has been in some memorable photos over the years.
There’s the obligatory baby photo that every politician must perfect:
(He may need a bit more work on that one.)
The all important thumbs up..showing he’s down with the kids.
Not to mention snaps of him ‘having the craic’ with political big hitters:
And of course, just hanging with the public..
But how much does the Taoiseach’s Department actually spend on photography?
Since 2011, over €100,000 has been spent on photographers, with the EU Presidency making up over €38,000 of that.
The most expensive event to photograph was, predictably, President Barack Obama’s visit in 2011, coming in at just over €4,500.
However photography costs have dramatically dropped since 2008, when they added up to €83,398 in one year alone.
Part of the reason for the drop is because Department staff have been taking photos themselves, as Enda Kenny pointed out in the Dáil.
The Taoiseach said, “The use of local photographers on international trade missions is required to distribute images to the domestic media to accompany the coverage of domestic journalists who are travelling on behalf of their organisations.
In relation to the EU Presidency costs – as is standard for all Presidencies there is a host photographer to capture the images for the Presidency and to distribute them around the world.
Top ten most expensive events to snap
1. Kenny’s Department spent €4,537.50 on President Obama’s visit to Ireland in May 2011.
2. €4,126.55 was spent on prints, presentation folders and envelopes relating to host photography for the Informal Meeting of Economic and Financial Affairs Council Ministers in April 2013.
3. Photography for the Presidential Inauguration in November 2011 cost €3,956.70.
4. €3,168.51 was spent on 18 hours of photography over 4 days for the JPEGs for Who’s Who on the Irish Presidency Website.
5. €2,841.30 was spent on photography for the State Funeral of the late Albert Reynolds in August 2014.
6. €2,817.49 was spent on photography for the Taoiseach’s visit to China in March 2012.
7. €2,695.80 was spent on photography for the Taoiseach’s visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in January 2014.
8. €2,453.74 was spent on the EU Informal Meeting of Ministers for Agriculture in May 2013.
9. €2,359.50 was spent on photography for the funeral of the late Dr. Garret FitzGerald’s in May 2011.
10. And finally €2,235.66 was spent on the Taoiseach’s St Patrick’s Day Visit to New York in 2013.
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