asked the Minister for Finance if he will furnish particulars of the travels abroad undertaken by civil servants which were paid for, in whole or in part, out of State funds, giving, in particular, the date, the duration, the destination, the purpose and the cost of each such visit since the 13th June, 1951.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Servants' Visits Abroad.
Any civil servant who travels at State expense either at home or abroad does so only with the approval of his Minister. Responsibility, therefore, for travelling expenses incurred by civil servants on public business during the term of office of the present and previous Governments rests with the individual Minister and not with the civil servant concerned.
I do not think it is in the public interest that individual civil servants should be exposed to either direct or implicit criticism for undertaking journeys which are considered necessary by responsible Ministers and, accordingly, I do not propose to incur the expenditure of time and labour that would be entailed in having compiled the particulars sought by the Deputy.