Ivor Callely
Question:81 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the total cost of ministerial foreign travel in 1995; if he will give a breakdown of this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10300/96]
Written Answers. - Ministeral Travel.
Details of the trips undertaken by me and by the Ministers of State, Deputies Burton, Mitchell and Fitzgerald, Office of the Tánaiste, during 1995 have already been made available to the House in replies given on 18 October 1995 to Question No. 64; 27 February 1996 to Question No. 64 and 26 March 1996 to Question No. 58.
The amount actually charged against the allocation for my office in 1995 and which covers transport, hotel and subsistence costs, including those costs for members of my private office, was £54,964. Similar figures for Minister of State Burton, are £42,978, Minister of State Mitchell, £39,439 and Minister of State Fitzgerald, £10,150.
Every effort continues to be made to keep the costs of the visits to the minimum consistent with the appropriate discharge of my responsibilities as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Deputy may wish to be aware that in 1992, the year before I assumed office as Minister for Foreign Affairs, the travel costs amounted to £178,000, £32,000 of which referred to the period 1989-91.