Official Travel

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 January 2011

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Questions (263, 264, 265, 266)

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

309 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of any foreign trips made by him in the year 2010 and to date in 2011; the purpose of each trip; the costs associated with each trip broken down by air travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and entertaining expenses; if air travel was by way of commercial airline or Government jet; the exact mode of ground transportation used; the name of each hotel and the nature of the entertainment for which the expenses were incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2678/11]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Micheál Martin)

In order to fulfil my duties as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I undertook a number of foreign trips in 2010. I have not undertaken any foreign travel to date in 2011. All of the travel was carried out in pursuit of Ireland's foreign policy objectives, our economic interests, or both. The majority of the travel arose directly from Ireland's active and committed membership of the EU and UN. Other travel commitments were undertaken following careful consideration of the value that a particular visit would contribute to Ireland's economic and foreign policy interests.

The details requested in relation to foreign travel undertaken during the period in question are included in the table below. In the timeframe available, it has not been possible to provide the full details requested. The Deputy may wish to be aware that in some cases, certain costs relating to overseas trips are covered by the host Government. Further, I would not ordinarily incur entertainment expenditure while abroad. Events, such as dinners, where they occur, are hosted by the relevant Ambassador.

My Department is fully compliant with the Department of Finance guidelines on foreign travel. My Department also operates its own detailed internal travel guidelines and practises which ensure cost effective travel practises. The central aim of the Departmental travel policy, which embraces both Ministers and officials, is to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties.

Travel Related Costs incurred by Minister Micheál Martin, 2010	Hotel	Air Fares	Ground Transportation	Other
JANUARY 2010
Thursday 14th Jan
Travelled to London (Govt Jet — same day return to Belfast)
Purpose of Trip: Meeting with Prime Minister Brown and Northern Ireland Secretary of State, London during talks on devolution of justice and policing powers to Northern Ireland
FEBRUARY 2010
Monday 25th Jan – 5 February (with break for meetings in London, 4 February)	(2 nights)
Travelled to London and Hillsborough (Govt Jet — same day return)	393.26
Purpose of Trip: Meeting with Prime Minister Brown, FM Miliband and Northern Ireland Secretary of State during talks on devolution of justice and policing powers to Northern Ireland
Monday 22nd February
Travelled to Brussels (Govt Jet — same day return)
Purpose of Trip: Foreign Affairs Council and General Affairs Council
Tuesday 23rd to Friday 26th	(1 night)
Travelled to Egypt and Gaza (Govt Jet )	68.92		1,016.15
Purpose of Trip: Talks in Egypt on Middle East and visit to Gaza.
(Accommodation in Cairo provided by Egyptian MFA)
MARCH 2010
Tuesday 2nd – Wednesday 3rd	(1 night)
Travelled to Geneva (Govt Jet – same day return)	279.11		774.03
Purpose of Trip: Human Rights Council Session

Travel Related Costs incurred by Minister Micheál Martin, 2010	Hotel	Air Fares	Ground Transportation	Other
Friday 5th – Saturday 6th
Travelled to Cordoba (Govt jet)
Purpose of Trip: Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers
(Accommodation provided by the Spanish Presidency)
Monday 15th – Thursday 18	(3 nights)
Travelled to Washington	533.01	2,190.41	854.41
Purpose of Trip: St. Patrick’s Day Programme of events, Washington
Monday 22nd
Travelled to Brussels (Govt Jet — same day return)
Purpose of Trip: Foreign Affairs Council & General Affairs Council
Wednesday 24th – Thursday 25th
Travelled to Paris		856.54	775.00
Purpose of Trip: Political consultations with FM Kouchner, a meeting with some French-linked members of the Global Irish Network and a number of trade and investment promotions appointments
(Stayed at Ambassador’s residence)
APRIL 2010
Wednesday 28th – Thursday 29th
Berlin and Munich (Govt Jet)
Purpose of Trip: Promotion of Irish economic interests in Germany, a review of EU developments with FM Westerwelle and an exchange of views on major CFSP issues
(Stayed at Ambassador’s Residence)

Travel Related Costs incurred by Minister Micheál Martin, 2010	Hotel	Air Fares	Ground Transportation	Other
MAY 2010
Sunday 2 – Wednesday 5	(3 nights)
Travelled to New York	361.09	2,607.29	46.79
Purpose of Trip: Nuclear Proliferation Treaty Conference and New York Programme
Saturday 22 – Saturday 29	(1 night)
Travelled to Hong Kong (return from Shanghai)	268.85	3,478.34	706.49	143.88
Purpose of Trip: 5 -day visit to China (Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dalian & Shenzhen) which included bilateral meetings with the Chinese Foreign Minister and Vice-Premier; a visit to the Irish Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai and meetings with business leaders, Asia-based members of the Global Irish Network, and academic institutions with Irish links.
(Accommodation, other than Hong Kong, was provided by the Chinese Government)
JUNE / JULY 2010
Monday 14
Travelled to Luxembourg (Govt Jet — same day return)
Purpose of Trip: Monthly meeting of EU Foreign Ministers — General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council
Monday 21
Travelled to Brussels (Govt Jet — same day return).
Purpose of Trip: Pre-Belgian Presidency Working dinner with Belgian FM, Brussels.
Working dinner hosted by the Belgian Foreign Minister to discuss the upcoming Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Sunday 27 – Friday 2 (July)	(5 nights)
Travelled to Kampala and Addis Ababa (Govt Jet)	636.50
Purpose of Trip: Visit to Uganda and Ethiopia, two of the priority countries for the Government’s aid programme, to assess the impact of the aid programme in the fight against poverty and hunger in Africa
AUGUST 2010 (no travel)

Travel Related Costs incurred by Minister Micheál Martin, 2010	Hotel	Air Fares	Ground Transportation	Other
SEPTEMBER 2010
Tuesday 7 –Wednesday 8
Travelled to Vienna (Govt Jet)	159.00
Purpose of Trip: Addressed opening of Ireland’s Forum for Security Cooperation Chairmanship, meeting with OSCE Chair, meeting with Austrian FM
Monday 20 – Tuesday 28	(7 nights)
Travelled to New York	2,338.80	2,609.71	566.20
Purpose of Trip: UN Joint Hunger Event; UN High Level Plenary meeting; UNSG’s High Level Meeting on Disarmament; Attendance at UNGA
OCTOBER 2010
Wednesday 6 –Friday 8
Travelled to Romania and Bulgaria (Govt Jet)
Purpose of Trip: Visits to Romania and Bulgaria
NOVEMBER 2010
Monday 22
Travelled to Brussels (Govt Jet — same day return)
Purpose of Trip: General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels
DECEMBER 2010
Tuesday 14
Travelled to London (Govt Jet — same day return)
Purpose of Trip: Meetings with Secretary of State, NI Owen Patterson and MP Shaun Woodward

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

310 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of any foreign trips made by officials in his Department in the years 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; the purpose of each trip; the costs associated with each trip broken down by air travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and entertaining expenses; if air travel was by way of commercial airline or Government jet; the mode of ground transportation used; the name of each hotel; the nature of the entertainment for which expenses were incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2693/11]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Micheál Martin)

The nature of work of my Department necessitates extensive travel by officers of the Department. This includes, among other activities, servicing meetings and attending fora arising directly from Ireland's active and committed membership of the EU and UN, overseeing Ireland's official development assistance programme, and the operation of our diplomatic network. Given the amount of travel involved it is not possible, in the time available, to provide all the detail requested. However the table below provides an indication of the total expenditures for the years in question on travel related costs for officials and office holders at my Department. It should be noted that these totals relate to costs incurred at home and abroad, and therefore include travel costs related to the operation of the diplomatic network and not just travel between Ireland and abroad.

My Department is fully compliant with the Department of Finance guidelines on foreign travel. My Department also operates its own detailed internal travel guidelines and practises which ensure cost effective travel practises, both in Headquarters and throughout our network of 76 diplomatic missions abroad. During 2009, my Department engaged in a robust review of existing travel policies in order to ensure full compliance with all existing guidelines and to ensure best practices exist. There have been a number of revisions and reminders in regard to the application of travel policy operating throughout my Department. The central aim of the Departmental travel policy, which embraces both Ministers and officials, is to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties.

	2009	2010	2011 (to date)
	€	€	€
Airfares*	2,222,247	2,280,326	48,581
Hotel and Accommodation	1,160,546	1,116,369	6,184
Subsistence	1,088,435	1,005,682	5,752

*Travel undertaken by Government Jet is not included here as the details relating to this are a matter for the Department of Defence.

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

311 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of hotel accommodation used by him within the State while on ministerial duties in the years 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; the name of each hotel in which he stayed; the costs associated with each stay and the purpose of each trip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2723/11]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Micheál Martin)

During the period in question there has been only one instance where I used hotel accommodation in the State while on Ministerial duties. On the night of 22 June 2010 I stayed in the Maritime Hotel in Bantry, at a cost of €75, to facilitate attendance at the Commemoration Ceremony to mark the 25th Anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182. The ceremony took place at Ahakista, Bantry, Co. Cork early in the morning of 23 June 2010. The Indian Government was represented by Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Kurshid and the Canadian Government by Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

312 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of any foreign trips made by officials in public bodies under the remit of his Department in the years 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011, the purpose of each trip; the costs associated with each trip broken down by air travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and entertaining expenses; if air travel was by way of commercial airline or Government jet; the mode of ground transportation used; the name of each hotel; the nature of entertainment for which expenses were incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2738/11]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Micheál Martin)

There are four bodies operating under the aegis of my Department — the Government Emigrant Services Advisory Committee; the Development Education Advisory Committee (DEAC); the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group; and The Board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange (the Fulbright Commission). No foreign travel by members of the three advisory committees was paid for by my Department during the period in question. Further, these advisory committees, the administrations of which are serviced directly by my Department, do not have independent budgets which would pay for foreign travel.

The Board of the Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange is jointly financed by the Irish and US Governments. It enjoys autonomy of management and administration, in accordance with the Educational Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1991, and therefore I am not in a position to supply the details requested by the Deputy.

Question No. 313 answered with Question No. 307.