Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 629: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the persons who are the representatives of his Department on the board of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority since 2002; the number of foreign trips these representatives went on with the DDDA; the venues for the trips they undertook; the cost to the taxpayer for these representatives to go on these trips and expenses incurred on their behalf by the DDDA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12232/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Since 2002, two officials of my Department have served on the Executive Board of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Ms. Mary Moylan, Assistant Secretary, was a member of the Executive Board from June 2000 to October 2007 when, following changes in responsibilities within the Department, she was succeeded by Mr. Mark Griffin, Assistant Secretary, who continues to serve on the Board.

Since 2002, the Department official serving on the Executive Board has participated in five foreign research visits by the DDDA, to see, first hand, and assess international best practice in docklands and harbour developments, and to meet with local officials and stakeholders. The locations concerned were Helsinki / St. Petersburg in 2004, Glasgow and Amsterdam in 2005, Bilbao / San Sebastian in 2006, and London in 2008. The Department's official was also scheduled to join, but in the event did not participate in, research visits to Newcastle in 2002 and Baltimore/New York in 2003.

The full travel costs were generally paid for by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, apart from a small amount of travel and subsistence (of the order of €137) recouped from my Department's Vote. While it is not possible to identify each specific cost, it is estimated that, on a pro-rata basis, the expenditure incurred by the Authority in respect of the Department official on the Board, for purposes of foreign research visits, was of the order of €13,770.