Written answers
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Ministerial Travel
5:00 pm
John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 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. [35110/09]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The annual cost, including relevant flights, subsistence and other expenses paid, of overseas travel in my official capacity as Minister for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 (to date) is set out in Table 1. The primary purpose of each trip and the number of people who traveled is also indicated. Similar information in regard to the Ministers of State at my Department for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 (to date) is set out in Table 2.
TABLE 1: Minister 2007-2009 (to date)
| Year | Destination | Purpose | Number in Ministerial party | Amount € |
| 2009 | London | Attended Waterways Ireland (WI) exhibition at the London Boat Show with John Martin, CEO WI. | 4 | 1,291 |
| Cardiff | Attended British-Irish Council Summit Meeting. | 2 | 321 | |
| Australia | State Representative at St. Patrick's Day events; meeting with Australian Premier Kevin Rudd; meetings with NSW Minister Tony Kelly; meetings with IDA clients; attended Enterprise Ireland events; visits to Irish-Australian Welfare Bureaus. | 3 | 16,898 | |
| Canada | State Representative at the National Famine Commemoration events in Toronto and Quebec (also attended by Federal Minister Jim Prentice); visited Celtic Studies Department and delivered lecture on Great Famine in University of Toronto. | 4 | 7,629 | |
| 2008 | London | Attended Waterways Ireland (WI) exhibition at the London Boat Show with Edwin Poots MLA, Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, and John Martin, CEO WI. | 4 | 3,318 |
| Brussels | Meeting with EU Commissioner for Rural Development; attended Conference on Multilingualism. | 7 | 3,414 | |
| Boston, USA | Meetings with Department of Celtic Studies and Department of Celtic Languages & Literatures, Harvard University; delivered lecture on membership of European Union; attended event for Irish community in Boston; meetings with faculty and students in Boston College; visited Irish Centre in Canton. | 3 | 13,040 | |
| India | State Representative at St. Patrick's Day events; 400+ guests in Delhi and 850+ guests in Mumbai comprising Irish community, business and diplomatic guests; undertook range of interviews supporting Irish agencies (e.g. Tourism Ireland, IDA and Enterprise Ireland); visited projects funded by Irish Aid in slum areas. | 4 | 15,760 | |
| New York, USA | Delivered Barra Ó Donnabháin lecture in New York University; launch of Fulbright Irish Language Programme 2008-11 in Lehman College; visited NY Irish Arts Centre. | 5 | 8,522 | |
| Brussels | Meeting with EU Commissioner Fischer Boel. | 5 | 1,811 | |
| Milwaukee, USA | Meetings with Chancellor of University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and members of Faculty of Celtic Studies; speaker at Irish Fest Milwaukee; attended range of Irish promotional events; meeting with Mayor of Milwaukee and Chamber of Commerce; attended commemoration of Omagh bombing. | 2 | 11,465 | |
| Scotland | Meeting Scottish Government representatives, including Rt. Hon Mr. Alex Salmond, MSP, First Minister of Scotland, Linda Fabiani, MSP, Minister for Europe, External Affairs & Culture, Richard Lochhead, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Environment, John Swinney, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth; meetings with Rural Development Council, Inverness, Norman Gillies of Sabhal Mor Ostaig; Scottish National Access Forum/NGOs in relation to Rural Recreation and Walkways. | 7 | 7,242 | |
| Isle of Man | Meeting with Hon Allan Bell MHK, Treasury Minister; visit to Tynwald; meeting regarding rural development issues chaired by Hon Phil Gawne, MHK; visit to Bunscoil (Manx language primary school); tour of Cregneash, including meeting with native Manx speakers. | 4 | 2,030 | |
| Boston/New York/Portland, USA | Guest of honour at 100 year celebration of the Mayo County Association; unveiling of plaque in honour of Éamon de Valera; visit to exhibition by Irish artist Joseph Walsh, attended inter-county football match in Gaelic Park; visited Catholic Memorial High school to meet students in Irish language programme; official opening of Maine Irish Heritage Centre; presentation with key to City by Mayor of Portland. | 3 | 11,645 | |
| 2007 | London | Attended Waterways Ireland (WI) exhibition at the London Boat Show with CEO WI; launched new WI publication "Ireland: Waterways Map & Directory". | 2 | 1,047 |
| Phoenix, USA | State Representative at St. Patrick's Day events in Phoenix; meeting with Bob Walkup, Mayor of Tucson; meeting with Office of Economic Development in University of Arizona; meeting with Irish Business Network; meeting with Mayor of Phoenix, Phil Gordon; tour of Irish Art Collection in Phoenix Art Museum; visit to Irish Cultural Centre. | 5 | 30,929 | |
| Bonn, Germany | Attended and gave lecture at the International Congress on Celtic Studies. | 3 | 1,126 | |
| Cleveland, USA | Guest of Honour at Mayo Society of Greater Cleveland; meeting with Mayo people living in Cleveland; radio interviews. | 3 | 11,023 | |
TABLE 2: Ministers of State 2007-2009 (to date)
| Year | Destination | Purpose | Number in Ministerial party | Amount € |
| 2009 | Vienna | Representing Irish Government at UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. | 3 | 2,308 |
| 2008 | London | Chairing British-Irish Council Ministerial Meeting on Drugs. | 2 | 1,304 |
| Copenhagen HelsinkiVaasa, Finland | State Representative at St. Patrick's Day events. Meeting with Danish Health Board and visiting drugs projects in Copenhagen. | 2 | 3,435 | |
| Brussels | Meet on Civil Society involvement in regards to Drugs with representatives of the EU Commission. | 2 | 477 | |
| 2007 | Chicago | Attending Irish Fest Milwaukee. | 2 | 11,388 |
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