Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of State visitors who stayed in Farmleigh House in 2009; the annual running cost of the house; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18673/09]

Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)
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In 2009 to date, Farmleigh House has hosted a State visit by the RT Hon. Mizengo P. Pinda, Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania. There were 19 people in the delegation. They stayed for three nights.

The annual cost of running Farmleigh House is approximately €3 million. This covers the cost to the Office of Public Works of operating and maintaining the property. Additional expenditure is borne by other Departments - principally the Departments of Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach - in relation to the hospitality and other costs associated with State visits and other high level or Government meetings held at Farmleigh. Security costs associated with State visits are borne by An Garda Síochána.

In addition to the cost of running Farmleigh as the premier guest facility for visiting Heads of State, the expenditure by the OPW 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. In 2008, there were 103 high level meetings at Farmleigh attended by 5,900 delegates and almost 200,000 people attended the various free public events held on the estate over the course of the year.