Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
89. Deputy John Brady asked the Taoiseach if he travelled abroad as part of the St. Patrick's Day celebrations; if so, the locations he travelled to; the duration of the trip; and the total cost of the trip including travel and accommodation in addition to other expenses incurred. [19139/17]
View answerI travelled to the United States for the annual St. Patrick's Day visit.
My visit from 11-17 March encompassed four cities; Philadelphia, Boston, Washington and New York. Unfortunately due to adverse weather conditions my programme in Boston was curtailed and a scheduled visit to Rhode Island had to be cancelled.
The most up to date information of costs paid to date by the Department of the Taoiseach are as follows: flights for the delegation €36,711.78, official gifts €1,237 and travel & subsistence €1,061.76.
It should be noted that not all invoices relating to the trip have been received. The Department of the Taoiseach routinely publishes details of foreign travel costs on its website (www.taoiseach.gov.ie).
