John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of foreign visits undertaken by him and his Ministers of State in 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009; the location of each; the number of people who travelled; the cost for each trip; if he will provide the information in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35118/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is provided from May 2008 - when I was appointed Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform - to date. As Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform I have travelled abroad on nine occasions, seven of which were for the purpose of attending EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Councils. On the other two occasions I travelled to Oslo to sign on behalf of Ireland the international Convention on Cluster Munitions and to Rome for discussions with my Italian counterpart and other senior officials on matters of mutual interest in the justice and home affairs area such as law enforcement, immigration and the incarceration and rehabilitation of prisoners.

To date the cost, including flight, travel and subsistence expenses, accommodation and other related expenditure, to my Department associated with my attendance at meetings outside the State in the period covered is €5,877. In line with normal practice I am generally accompanied on official foreign travel by my Private Secretary, Press Advisor and other relevant Departmental officials as appropriate.

In the same period the Minister of State, Conor Lenihan, T.D., when Minister for Integration, travelled abroad on official Government business on ten occasions. On eight of these occasions Minister Lenihan travelled abroad - Paris (x2), Kiev, Tanzania, The Hague, Vichy, New York, and Nigeria - to participate in international integration and migration conferences and to meet with Ministerial counterparts, senior officials and other foreign organisations as part of his responsibilities as Minister for Integration. On two occasions Minister Lenihan represented me at EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Councils.

The cost, including flight (mainly commercial), travel and subsistence expenses, accommodation and other related expenditure, to my Department associated with Minister Conor Lenihan's attendance at meetings outside the State in the period covered was €27,774. On official foreign travel Minister Lenihan was generally accompanied by his Private Secretary and other relevant Departmental officials as appropriate.

My Department has incurred no costs related to official foreign travel by Ministers of State John Curran, T.D., John Moloney, T.D., and Barry Andrews, T.D., since their appointment as Ministers of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.