Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2006
364 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details of his travels abroad for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations; the people who travelled with him in their official party; the duration of the visit; and the cost. [14499/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI travelled to the United States from 11 to 17 March to represent the Government at promotional events in Dallas before attending the customary St. Patrick's Day ceremonies in Washington. On 17 March, I accompanied the Taoiseach to the White House for the traditional presentation of shamrock, followed by a meeting with President Bush in the Oval Office. Our discussions with the President covered Northern Ireland, immigration reform and other, including current international, issues. The Taoiseach and I also had a series of valuable meetings with key Members of Congress including Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Kennedy, Leahy and McCain. We also met with Congressman Jim Walsh and members of the Friends of Ireland Group in Congress. The focus of these meetings was on Northern Ireland and immigration reform. This special opportunity, unique to Ireland, for direct and detailed dialogue with the President of the United States and his Administration, and also key players on Capitol Hill, is exceptionally valued by the Government.
My programme, in Washington, also included attendance at the American-Ireland Fund national gala dinner, the lunch hosted by Speaker Hastert, and the Ambassador's St. Patrick's Day reception. In addition, the Taoiseach and I had a very valuable meeting on immigration reform with Niall O'Dowd and Grant Lally of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. I also accompanied the Taoiseach to a meeting with the Ireland-America Economic Advisory Board. Discussions with the board focused on the successes of the Irish economy, business prospects in the US and developments in Northern Ireland. The Secretary General of my Department, the Director General of the Anglo-Irish division, my press adviser and my private secretary travelled to Washington in the official party.
In Dallas, where I was accompanied by my wife, my press adviser and my private secretary, my programme included attendance at the Irish-American Society dinner, the downtown parade and a breakfast hosted by the American-Ireland Fund. I also had a briefing session with the editorial board of The Dallas Morning News, and addressed a lunch hosted by the Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
My address to the business lunch focused on the success of the Irish economy, highlighting the theme of the Irish advantage, which was also articulated by the Taoiseach and Ministers at a wide variety of events throughout the world over the St. Patrick's Day period. The importance of the Irish-American relationship, the peace process and immigration reform also featured in my remarks and discussions in Dallas. The cost of the visit, including transatlantic and internal transport and accommodation, will be approximately €51,000.
366 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of visits abroad made by him in 2005 and to date in 2006; the persons who travelled with him on each occasion abroad; the purpose of each visit; and the cost of each visit. [14564/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor the period in question, I made 60 trips involving 74 destinations. The dates, destinations and purpose of the visits abroad made by me as Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2005 and in 2006, to date, are set out in the table attached. Several of the visits in 2005 were undertaken in my capacity as Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the United Nations in connection with UN reform.
On visits abroad, I would generally be accompanied by my private secretary, a small number of officials from the divisions of the Department whose work directly pertains to the meeting or conference in question and a press officer. On occasion, I may also be accompanied by the Secretary General of the Department, and sometimes by my special adviser.
When I travelled to the countries worst affected by the tsunami disaster from 8-13 January 2005, I was accompanied on the Government jet by the heads of four Irish aid agencies — Concern, Goal, Trócaire and the Irish Red Cross — who met their own hotel and subsistence costs. Similarly, the delegation for the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in May 2005 included a representative of the Irish non-governmental organisation, NGO, community, who travelled at his own expense.
The total travel, accommodation and subsistence costs of Departmental personnel at HQ for the conduct of official business abroad amounted to €3.37 million in 2005. The corresponding figure for the first three months of 2006 amounted to €820,000. The analogous costs for myself and my private secretary in 2005 came to a total of €185,472; an average of €3,785 for each of the 49 visits undertaken in that year. As some of the costs relating to my recent visits abroad remain to be brought to account, the corresponding figures for the first three months of 2006 are not yet available.
As the subject of the question covers 60 visits abroad involving a diverse number of officials, I believe the Deputy will appreciate that the time and effort involved in collating the individual cost attributable to each official, for each visit, would be disproportionate.
|
Date |
Destination |
Purpose of Visit |
|
7 January 2005 |
Brussels |
Special General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC). |
|
8-13 January 2005 |
Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka |
To assess at first hand the effects of the Tsunami Disaster. |
|
24 January 2005 |
Stockholm, Helsinki. |
Meetings with the Swedish and Finnish Foreign Ministers. |
|
31 January 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
1 February 2005 |
London. |
Meeting between the Taoiseach and British Prime Minister. |
|
7-11 February 2005 |
New York, Washington. |
Meetings on UN business in New York; meetings with key Irish American contacts in Washington, including on Capitol Hill, on the Northern Ireland Peace Process, immigration issues, and bilateral economic relations. |
|
21 February 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
22 February 2005 |
Brussels |
Meeting between EU Foreign Ministers and the US Secretary of State. |
|
11-18 March 2005 |
United States |
Programme of traditional St. Patrick’s Day events and promotional activities in Boston and Washington. |
|
22-23 March 2005 |
Brussels |
European Council. |
|
4-7 April 2005 |
New York |
Meetings on UN business. |
|
14-15 April 2005 |
Brussels |
Meeting with the Belgian Foreign Minister; meeting with the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Secretary General of the European Union, Mr. Javier Solana. |
|
15-16 April 2005 |
Luxembourg |
Informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich); meeting en marge with Commissioner Ferrero Waldner. |
|
20 April 2005 |
Rome, San Marino |
Meeting with the Italian Foreign Minister; meeting with the Secretary of State for Political and Foreign Affairs of San Marino. |
|
21 April 2005 |
Switzerland |
Meeting with the Swiss Foreign Minister. |
|
25 April 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
27-29 April 2005 |
Copenhagen, The Hague, Belgrade, Ljubljana and Vienna. |
Meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Denmark, the Netherlands, Serbia-Montenegro, Slovenia and Austria. |
|
2-3 May 2005 |
New York |
To attend Non-Proliferation Treaty Conference; meeting with UN Secretary General; meetings with the Australian and Iranian Foreign Ministers. |
|
11 May 2005 |
Madrid |
Meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister. |
|
16-18 May 2005 |
Warsaw |
Council of Europe Summit and meeting with the Polish Foreign Minister. Also meetings en marge with the Foreign Ministers of Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Liechtenstein, and Moldova. |
|
22-23 May 2005 |
Brussels |
Ministerial Conclaves on Financial Perspectives and GAERC. |
|
24-25 May 2005 |
Sweden |
Meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Security Forum; meetings en marge with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden, Albania, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and with the US Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs. |
|
27 May 2005 |
Luxembourg |
EU-Rio Ministerial Meeting; meetings en marge with the Foreign Ministers of Argentina and Chile. |
|
30 May 2005 |
Luxembourg |
Euromed Ministerial Meeting; meetings en marge with the Foreign Ministers of Algeria, Israel, Egypt, Syria and the Palestinian Authority. |
|
31 May- 2 June 2005 |
New York |
Special Envoys’ meetings with UN Secretary General; programme organised by the Irish Consulate General, New York, including meetings on immigration issues. |
|
8-9 June 2005 |
Minsk, Budapest. |
Meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Belarus and Hungary. |
|
12-13 June 2005 |
Luxembourg |
Ministerial Conclaves on Financial Perspectives and GAERC. |
|
15 June 2005 |
London |
Meeting with the DUP. |
|
16-18 June 2005 |
Brussels |
European Council. |
|
22 June 2005 |
Brussels |
Iraq Conference; meetings en marge with the Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Jordan, and Malta. |
|
23 June 2005 |
Reykjavik |
Meeting with the Foreign Minister of Iceland. |
|
27 June 2005 |
London |
Meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. |
|
3-6 July 2005 |
Moscow, Kiev, |
Meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine. |
|
12-13 July 2005 |
Jerusalem |
Meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister. |
|
13 July 2005 |
Ramallah |
Meeting with the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority. |
|
14 July 2005 |
London |
Annual Díon Reception. |
|
18 July 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC; meetings en marge with the Foreign Ministers of Finland, France, Lithuania, Portugal, and Slovakia. |
|
19-20 July 2005 |
Athens, Ankara, Larnaca. |
Meetings with the Greek, Turkish, and Cypriot Foreign Ministers and with the President of Cyprus. |
|
1-2 September 2005 |
Cardiff |
Informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting (Gymnich). |
|
11-19 September 2005 |
New York |
UN Summit and UN General Assembly, including bilateral meetings with a number of Foreign Ministers; programme of bilateral events organised by the Consulate General New York. |
|
2-3 October 2005 |
Luxembourg |
GAERC. |
|
18 October 2005 |
Luxembourg |
Special GAERC. |
|
30 October- 5 November 2005 |
New York and Boston |
Meetings with key Irish American contacts on the Northern Ireland Peace Process, immigration reform, and bilateral economic relations. |
|
7 November 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
21 November 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
29 November-1 December 2005 |
New York, Washington |
Meetings on UN business in New York; meetings with Senator Kennedy and US Secretary of State Rice in Washington. |
|
7 December 2005 |
Brussels |
Ministerial Conclave on Financial Perspectives. |
|
12 December 2005 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
15-16 December 2005 |
Brussels |
European Council. |
|
19-20 January 2006 |
Riga |
Meeting with the Latvian Foreign Minister and to address the opening of an economic conference. |
|
30 January 2006 |
Brussels |
GAERC. |
|
1 February 2006 |
London |
Meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. |
|
22-23 February 2006 |
London |
Meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. |
|
27 February 2006 |
Brussels |
GAERC and Open Troika with the Canadian Foreign Minister. |
|
8 March 2006 |
London |
Meeting between Taoiseach and British Prime Minister. |
|
10 March 2006 |
Salzburg |
Informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting (Gymnich). |
|
11-15 March 2006 |
Dallas |
Programme of traditional St. Patrick’s Day events and promotional activities in Dallas area. |
|
15-18 March 2006 |
Washington |
Programme of St. Patrick’s Day and related events in Washington. |
|
23-24 March 2006 |
Brussels |
European Council Meeting. |
|
10 April 2006 |
Luxembourg |
Meeting of GAERC (and Development Ministers). |
