Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the position of the house at Farmleigh, renovated to head of State and Government status, and suitable as the Taoiseach's residence; the cost of refurbishment of the house and its grounds to date; the number of days and nights it has been occupied and by whom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35945/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy may be referring to the Steward's House at Farmleigh. The Steward's House was recently refurbished to provide additional guest accommodation as part of the overall Farmleigh complex but separate from the main house. The Steward's House is an integral part of the Farmleigh Estate and it was included as part of the purchase of Farmleigh by the State in 1999. Much of the renovation work was done by the building maintenance service of the Office of Public Works as part of its ongoing programme of works. External contracts directly associated with the renovation work amounted to €568,076 inclusive of VAT. In addition, direct landscaping contracts came to €30,748 inclusive of VAT. Since it became available for use, one group of 3 guests, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture and two others, were accommodated in Steward's House for 2 days and 2 nights.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 145: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of nights for each of the past five years that Farmleigh has been used for overnight visitors; the persons who have used it; the cost of such overnight visits per head; the annual cost of running Farmleigh for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35946/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy in relation to overnight usage of Farmleigh and the annual running costs of Farmleigh in each of the 5 years from 2002 to 2006 is given in the following tables. In addition to the cost of running Farmleigh as the premier guest facility for visiting Heads of State, the expenditure in each year supported significant other activity at Farmleigh in relation to its use as a venue for high level meetings and also the very successful public access and event programme. Details of these other activities are given in the attached tables also. In relation to the cost of overnight visits per head, while the OPW which manages Farmleigh, would have incurred costs associated with those visits, those costs would have been small in the context of the overall cost of the visits where most of the expenditure would have been borne by the Department of Foreign Affairs and/or the Department of the Taoiseach in relation to catering and general hospitality costs, and by the Garda Síochána in relation to security costs

2004 figures do not include guests for special EU Day of Welcomes ceremony on 1st May.

Summary of High Level Events held at Farmleigh: