Politicians under fire for trip to Oz

POLITICIANS on a junket to Australia, paid for by the taxpayer, were up the creek yesterday after details emerged their parliamentary business down under included a visit to a famous vineyard.

The Oireachtas delegation of six TDs and a Senator happily posed for photographs while sipping fine wine at the Jacob’s Creek visitor centre in the picturesque Barossa Valley at the weekend.

The group is on a two-week parliamentary visit to Australia, with the costs of their flights being met by the Irish taxpayer at an estimated €70,000, while the Australian Government is paying for hotels and meals. Australian delegates will come to Ireland in the future, when the Irish taxpayer will meet their expenses.