Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 6

Written Answers. - Ministerial Foreign Travel.

Michael Noonan

Ceist:

210 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Minister for Justice the official journeys abroad which will be undertaken by her or any Minister of State attached to her Department between now and the end of the year; the purpose of each journey; and the projected cost of each journey. [631/94]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

I will be travelling to Naples for a United Nations Conference on Organised Transnational Crime from 21 to 23 November and I will be travelling to Brussels on 30 November for an EU Council meeting.

It is possible that I will attend a meeting or meetings of the Anglo-Irish Conference outside the jurisdiction before Christmas but I have no definite information in this regard at this point.

It is not possible to forecast accurately at this time what costs are likely to be involved.

The Minister of State at my Department has no journeys scheduled between now and the end of this year in relation to matters for which my Department has responsibility.

Mary Harney

Ceist:

211 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Justice the number of official trips abroad she has made since she took office; the number of persons that accompanied her on each of these trips; and the cost of the various trips. [778/94]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn)

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to trips abroad which I have made from the date of my taking office as Minister up to October 1993 is set out in my reply to Questions Nos. 192 and 193 of 6 October 1993 — Official Report, Vol. 434 columns 150 to 151. The information in relation to trips abroad made by me in the period 7 October 1993 to date is as follows:

Duration	Destination	Number Accompanying	Purpose	Provisional Cost
				£
17-19 Nov. 1993	Athens	4	EU Conference of Ministers of Justice	4,100
28-30 Nov. 1993	Brussels	5	EU Council Meeting	6,110
15 Dec. 1993	London	1	Anglo-Irish Conference	400
8-10 Jan. 1994	Boston	2	Funeral of Mr. ‘Tip’ O'Neill	5,860
10 March 1994	London	8	Anglo-Irish Conference	800
10-19 March 1994	USA	5	St. Patrick's Day functions and visiting penal institutions	19,000
23 March 1994	Brussels	3	EU Council Meeting	150
5-7 May 1994	Thessaloniki	5	Informal meeting of EU Interior Affairs Council	1,357
19-21 June 1994	Luxembourg	1	EU Council Meeting	1,400
21-25 June 1994	Cyprus	6	Visiting Garda Síochána serving with UN in Cyprus	9,330
22-23 Sept. 1994	London	6	Anglo Irish Conference	2,315

The costs shown for each visit are based on the travel and subsistence costs which have been brought to account in the Department of Justice. In some cases the claims are in the course of finalisation. Costs of journeys made by the Government jet are not included in the above figures. In addition, accommodation abroad may be arranged through the local embassy, as may other incidental costs such as the hire of cars etc. It can be some time before these are brought to account in the Department of Justice.