State visits cost about €20m

THE cost of the visits to Ireland by the British Queen and US president in May should come in at about €20m, the Taoiseach said.

However, Enda Kenny insisted this was good value for money for the taxpayer as he estimated global media coverage of the events was worth some €300m to the country.

Mr Kenny told the Dáil that a full breakdown of the costs of the visit had not yet been compiled, but that his department had spent €600,000 on the one-day trip by Barack Obama.