The cost to the taxpayer of sending a select number of senior local government officials to an exclusive management course at Harvard University tops €315,000 for the past seven years, figures show.

The taxpayer has footed a €31,000 bill for sending local government officials from one county council to a management course at a US university — with the body that collects the household charge paying course fees.

Ireland will seek to move Europe beyond austerity and place renewed emphasis on boosting economic growth when it assumes the presidency of the EU, Enda Kenny has said.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny begins a three-day visit to the US today, the setpiece of which will be a speech to Harvard about the Irish economy and political leadership.