Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Dec 1991

Vol. 413 No. 9

Written Answers. - Ministerial Visits Abroad.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

103 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will list (1) the countries which he visited during the Irish Presidency of the EC (2) the dates on which those countries were visited (3) the airlines used on those visits (4) the cost of each visit and (5) the officials and other Government members who travelled with him on each occasion.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

During Ireland's Presidency of the European Community, from 1 January to 30 June 1990, I visited the following countries:

Date(s)	Country
8	January	United Kingdom
9-12	January	United States of America
15-17	January	France
21-23	January	Poland
23-25	January	Yugoslavia
31	January	United Kingdom
1	February	Belgium
2	February	Switzerland
5-6	February	Belgium
7-9	February	Canada
10-13	February	Brunei Darrasalam
13-18	February	Malaysia
21	February	United Kingdom
22	February	Belgium
22-23	February	Hungary
23-24	February	Bahrain
24-26	February	Saudi Arabia
27-28	February	Zambia
2	March	United Kingdom
5-6	March	Belgium
9-11	March	Czechoslovakia
14	March	France
16-18	March	Oman
20-22	March	Namibia
23-24	March	Portugal
2-4	April	Luxembourg
10-15	April	South-Africa
19	April	United Kingdom
23-25	April	United States of America
3	May	Belgium
7-8	May	Belgium
9-10	May	France
16-17	May	France
23-25	May	Morocco
25	May	Tunisia
30 May	1 June	France
5-6	June	Denmark
13	June	France
14-17	June	Kuwait
18-19	June	Luxembourg

Many of these visits were official visits, where costs are borne by the host country and troika visits, which involves Ministers representing two other member states of the European Community. It is therefore not practicable to provide complete and individual costings for each of the above journeys. On each occasion, I was accompanied by the Departmental official(s) relevant to the area of responsibility covered by the visit and, where necessary, by my wife who travelled in a representational capacity. On the EC Troika related visits, I was also accompanied by Government representatives and officials from France and Italy, and representatives from the European Commission. On all but five occasions, when logistical arrangements dictated otherwise, I travelled by Government plane. The commercial airlines used were British Airways, Saudia Airlines, Air Zambia and South Africa Airlines.