Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 433: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide details of any foreign trips made by him in the year 2010 and to date in 2011; the purpose of each trip; the costs associated with each trip broken down by air travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and entertaining expenses; if air travel was by way of commercial airline or Government jet; the exact mode of ground transportation used; the name of each hotel and the nature of the entertainment for which the expenses were incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2672/11]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The details sought by the Deputy in respect of overseas travel carried out by my predecessor and I in our official capacity as Minister during 2010 are set out in the Table below. The air travel in each case was by commercial airline. I have undertaken no official overseas travel to date in 2011.

TABLE

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 434: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide details of any foreign trips made by officials in his Department in the years 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; the purpose of each trip; the costs associated with each trip broken down by air travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and entertaining expenses; if air travel was by way of commercial airline or Government jet; the mode of ground transportation used; the name of each hotel; the nature of the entertainment for which expenses were incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2687/11]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that it has not been possible in the time available to collate the information requested relating to foreign trips made by officials of my Department from 2009 to date. I am arranging to have the available information from my Department's records collated and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 435: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide details of hotel accommodation used by him within the State while on ministerial duties in the year 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; the name of each hotel in which he stayed; the costs associated with each stay and the purpose of each trip; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2717/11]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The details requested by the Deputy regarding hotel accommodation used by me since my appointment as Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs on 23 March 2010 are outlined in Table 1 below. Relevant details in respect of my predecessor as Minister for the period 1 January 2009 to 23 March 2010 are outlined in Table 2 below.

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 436: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide details of any foreign trips made by officials in public bodies under the remit of his Department in the years 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011, the purpose of each trip; the costs associated with each trip broken down by air travel, ground transportation, hotel accommodation and entertaining expenses; if air travel was by way of commercial airline or Government jet; the mode of ground transportation used; the name of each hotel; the nature of entertainment for which expenses were incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2732/11]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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On the assumption that the Deputy is referring to the range of State bodies/agencies funded from my Department's Vote Group, I wish to advise that the time and resources that would be required to collate the substantial and wide-ranging amount of information requested by the Deputy would not, in my view, be an effective and efficient use of public resources. I am not, therefore, in a position to provide the information requested. If the Deputy, however, has a query in relation to a specific case or body, I would, of course, be pleased to provide the information requested.

In general terms, I should say that I am advised that the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group comply with Government travel policy requirements and with Department of Finance circulars regarding travel and subsistence. In addition, a copy of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, which was updated and published by the Department of Finance in May 2009 and which includes a framework for a travel policy for State bodies, has been provided to each of the bodies/agencies in question. With regard to the North/South Implementation Bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group, the position is that such bodies follow good practice in both jurisdictions in matters of corporate governance and in the development of their own internal codes of practice.