Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 353: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of money spent on hotel accommodation by his Department and each State agency under the aegis of his Department for each of the years 2004 to date in 2008; if he will provide the information available in tabular readable form. [46682/08]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 354: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the procurement arrangements in place in his Department and each State agency under the aegis of his Department for the sourcing of hotel accommodation for him, for his Departmental staff and staff at each State agency, when overnight accommodation is necessary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46697/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to reply to Questions Nos. 353 and 354 together.

I have provided below in tabular form details of the hotel accommodation costs incurred under the headquarters budget of my Department for each year from 2004 to date, for officers travelling overseas and within Ireland in an official capacity. There are no State Agencies operating under the remit of my Department.

With regard to the procurement arrangements for sourcing hotel accommodation, the central contract for travel booking services for government officials includes provision for making hotel reservations. This contract is currently held by Club Travel Limited and was awarded following an EU-level advertised procurement process conducted earlier this year. Club Travel is used by my Department to book hotel accommodation for officers travelling to Brussels.

The central aims of the travel policy of my Department, which is based on the travel policy for Government Departments laid down by the Department of Finance, are to minimise official travel costs and to achieve value for money for expenditure necessarily incurred, consistent with the effective discharge of official duties. The Departmental travel policy advises that the most reasonably priced, appropriate, hotel accommodation should be used when engaged in official travel.

Throughout Ireland's diplomatic network of 75 Missions abroad, Embassies and Consulates maintain lists of Hotels with which special rates have been negotiated locally. When official or Ministerial travel is being undertaken abroad, the Mission accredited to the country will book appropriate accommodation for officials and Ministers in line with Departmental travel policy and in consultation as necessary with the Minister's Office.