Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 393: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide details of all meetings facilitated by the embassy in London between Ministers and other parties during the course of July and August 2010; if he will further provide the cost of each such meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39116/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Embassy in London facilitated meetings for three Ministers during the period in question. The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, T.D., visited London from 1 to 2 July 2010. She was invited to make a speech at the Embassy to some 120 representatives of the Irish International Business Network in support of the Embassy's work in promoting the Irish economy. Following the speech, the Ambassador hosted a networking reception, the total cost of which was £1,450.

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Ms Mary Hanafin, T.D., visited London from 2 to 4 July 2010 with the objective of boosting Irish tourism in the UK, our most important overseas market. The Minister's programme included briefings with Tourism Ireland and Embassy officials and a series of interviews with correspondents from the Irish and British media. The Ambassador hosted a working lunch at the Embassy for senior representatives of the Business Tourism industry in Britain in preparation for opening of The Convention Centre Dublin. The total cost of the lunch, which was attended by some 40 people, was £2,030.34. The Ambassador also hosted a reception at the Embassy for 140 guests to launch the digitisation of the 1901 and 1911 Census. The total cost of the reception was £1,837.95.

The Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, T.D., visited London from 19 to 20 July 2010 on Government business. The Embassy hosted a business breakfast, the cost of which was £135. The costs referred to in the second and fourth paragraphs were met by the Embassy from funds allocated to it for such purposes and the costs in respect of the third paragraph will be recouped from Tourism Ireland.