€35,000 for McDowell’s Patrick’s Day flights

THE cost of flights for Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s junket to Argentina for St Patrick’s Day celebrations amounted to more than €35,000.

Mr McDowell confirmed this week that the total cost of the scheduled business flights for the seven-person party who travelled to Buenos Aires for the six-day trip in March came to €35,147, or €5,021 per person.

The figures relating to other expenses incurred on the trip to South America, including accommodation, are not yet to hand, according to the minister, but will likely push the overall cost to well over €40,000.

The seven people on the Argentinean trip comprised of Mr McDowell, the secretary general of his department, their respective spouses, the minister’s programme delivery manager, press officer and private secretary.

The information was supplied to Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesman Bernard Allen in reply to parliamentary questions he submitted to all ministers who travelled abroad during St Patrick’s week.

Most ministers said it was too early for them to supply figures, but the information on costs supplied by four ministers suggests that the annual St Patrick’s Day exodus by ministers, junior ministers, their spouses, and officials costs the taxpayer well in excess of €500,000.

Environment Minister Dick Roche, who was accompanied by his wife and private secretary, travelled to Shanghai and Beijing for a week. The total cost to date for three people, excluding accommodation, has come to €17,813.

The two other ministers who supplied figures were Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin and Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan. Ms Coughlan travelled to Paris for three days - the total cost for three people was €2,480.

Mr Martin travelled to Australia for six days in March. The costs for the two-person party, including flights and accommodation, came to €8,998.83.

The annual St Patrick’s Day trips have often been portrayed in the media as jaunts. Ministers have justified the trips on the grounds that they provide invaluable opportunities for promoting the country.

Mr McDowell justified the seven-person trip by instancing 10 official engagements he attended during his six-day visit.