Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2009
196 Deputy Jim O’Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount spent by her and Ministers of State, officials, persons in agencies, offices or bodies under the remit of her Department, on foreign travel in the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1437/09]
View answerOn the basis of provisional outturn figures for 2008, the total amount spent by my Department on foreign travel in the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008 was €737,741.88, mainly in relation to EU commitments and trade missions. This amount includes payments in respect of foreign travel and subsistence expenses in respect of myself, my predecessor at the Department up to May 2008, the Ministers of State at my Department in 2008, Departmental officials and staff in the Offices under the remit of my Department. It also includes the foreign travel costs of staff in the National Consumer Agency, for whom my Department processes travel and subsistence claims. I do not have details of amounts spent on foreign travel by other agencies under the my Department's remit, as payment of these costs is an operational matter for the agencies concerned.
