Official Travel

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 January 2011

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Ceisteanna (393, 394, 395, 396, 397)

Lucinda Creighton

Ceist:

441 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence 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. [2673/11]

Lucinda Creighton

Ceist:

444 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence 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. [2718/11]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Defence (Deputy Tony Killeen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 441 and 444 together.

Date	Name of Hotel	Costs Associated	Purpose of Trip	Mode of Ground Transport
		€
25th – 26th April 2010	Hotel Royal, Luxembourg, Belgium	209	Defence Minister’s Meeting, Luxembourg	Car
23rd – 24th September 2010	Accommodation paid by EU Presidency	Nil	Defence Council Meeting, Ghent, Belgium	Car
26th – 28th September 2010	Hotel Prishtina, Pristina	87	Visit to Irish troops serving with KFOR in Kosovo and EUFOR in Bosnia & Herzegovina	Military Transport
Hotel Europe, Sarajevo	86
16th – 17th November 2010	Accommodation paid by Swedish authorities	Nil	Live Exercise in Ronneby and Political Exercise in Stockholm as part of the Nordic Battlegroup Preparations	Official car of the Irish Ambassador to Sweden

In relation to entertainment expenses, Minister Killeen hosted a dinner in Sarajevo on the 27th September 2010 for 11 officials at a cost of €349.05. It is not possible to isolate the costs associated with ground transportation on the above trips as transport was provided by officials and the Military as detailed above. The former Minister of Defence, Willie O'Dea, T.D., did not embark on any foreign trips in 2010.

The Ministerial Air Transport Service was availed of for all foreign travel during the period in question. Details of foreign trips using the Ministerial Air Transport Service in 2010 and to date in 2011 are set out in the tabular statement below.

Aircraft	Date	Ministerial Time on Board	Route
Learjet 45	25th – 26th April 2010	3hrs 20mins	Baldonnel – Luxembourg – Baldonnel
	23rd – 24th September 2010	3hrs	Baldonnel – Brussels – Baldonnel
	26th – 28th September 2010	8hrs	Baldonnel – Pristina – Sarajevo – Baldonnel
Gulfstream IV	16th – 17th November 2010	4hrs 25mins	Baldonnel – Ronneby – Stockholm – Baldonnel

With regard to the costs associated with the use of the Ministerial Air Transport Service, this Department follows the normal practice in the aviation business of costing aircraft by reference to the cost per flying hour under either of two headings:

(a) The direct cost, i.e. the costs which are additional to those associated with having the aircraft and which only arise when the aircraft is flown including maintenance, fuel and support services; and

(b) The total cost, i.e. the direct cost plus the costs associated with having the aircraft, i.e. depreciation and personnel costs

The costs associated with the dedicated MATS aircraft are as follows:

Aircraft	Average Direct Cost Per Hour	Average Total Cost Per Hour
	€	€
Gulfstream	4,050	7,890
Learjet	1,270	2,950

The information requested in relation to domestic trips made by me in the years 2010 and to date in 2011 are set out in the table below.

Date	Hotel	Amount	Purpose
		€
14th May 2010	Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, Co Kildare	105	Reserve Defence Force Representative Association Annual Delegate Conference
20th – 21st May 2010	Imperial Hotel, Cork	198	Visit to Collins Bks & Naval Base at Haulbowline
17th June 2010	Racket Hall Roscrea, Co Tipperary	49	Visit to Civil Defence HQ
25th June 2010	Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, Co Kildare	105	Chief of Staff’s funeral
28th July 2010	Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny	79	Visit to Stephens Bks Kilkenny
8th September 2010	Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, Co Tipperary	75	Meeting re Civil Defence
25th October 2010	Clonmel Park Hotel, Clonmel, Co Tipperary	75	Visit to Kickham Barracks, Clonmel
28th October 2010	Cavan Crystal Hotel, Cavan Town	75	Visit to Cavan & Mullingar Barracks
21st November 2010	Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran, Co Donegal	50	Visit to Finner Camp

The former Minister of Defence, Willie O'Dea, T.D., did not avail of hotel accommodation while on domestic Ministerial duties in 2009 or 2010.

Lucinda Creighton

Ceist:

442 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence 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. [2688/11]

Lucinda Creighton

Ceist:

445 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence 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. [2733/11]

Minister for Defence (Deputy Tony Killeen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 442 and 445 together.

It has not been possible in the time available to compile the information requested by the Deputy. The information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Lucinda Creighton

Ceist:

443 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Defence the occasions on which the Government jet was used to travel within the State in 2010 and to date in 2011; the purpose of each trip and the costs associated with each trip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2703/11]

Minister for Defence (Deputy Tony Killeen)

The dedicated Ministerial Air Transport Service aircraft, i.e. the Gulfstream IV & Learjet 45, have not been availed of by any Minister for travel within the State in 2010 or to date in 2011.

Question No. 444 answered with Question No. 441.

Question No. 445 answered with Question No. 442.