Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last year we announced a €2.5 billion stimulus package covering a range of educational, health and legal facilities around the country. Many of those are either under way or in the preparation stage.

The Department of the Taoiseach's Estimate for 2013 is €20.086 million, of which €2.485 million has been allocated to the Presidency. Seven hundred thousand euro of that is for pay, and other costs relate to matters such as the Presidency website and communications and to hosting Presidency-related events.

I assume Deputy Boyd Barrett has attended events in other countries on issues they might be promoting, but he is really putting on the whinger's face when he says we cannot give visitors to our country a memento of the Irish Presidency, whether it be a tie, a scarf or whatever. He is descending to the bottom of the pit if that is his attitude.

The Government decision of 20 December 2011 agreed that additional resources of the order of €60 million, plus security costs, would be required to meet the costs of our Presidency in 2013. That is a lot of money, but the Presidency is a major undertaking on behalf of 500 million people. It is across the entire spectrum of the Government. It is a lengthy period and a major challenge for any small country to undertake. It is also the last time we will have to undertake this particular effort for the next 14 or 15 years. Every effort is being made to meet the challenge as responsibly and as reasonably as we can, while taking advantage of the promotional opportunities the Presidency provides.

Sixty million euro is at the low end of Presidency Estimates in recent years and represents a reduction on the 2004 Presidency, for which there was €93 million in specific budgeting, and on which approximately €110 million was spent when all costs were taken into account. Nine years on, therefore, there is a very significant reduction in the cost of the Presidency; the costs of other countries participating are greater.

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