Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will report on his recent visit to the US; the number of persons he met during the visit; the number of officials who accompanied him on the visit and the cost of the trip to his Department to date. [17743/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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On my recent visit to New York and Washington, I had a series of economic, financial, media and cultural engagements. These included meetings with the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, senior officials and representatives from various client companies and certain target IDA companies. While in New York, my engagements included meetings with legal and financial market advisers including an investor lunch facilitated by the NTMA, a lunch hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and an official breakfast meeting at the New York Stock Exchange. The purpose of these meetings was to have an exchange of views on the global and European financial situation while also addressing Irish-specific issues. I outlined the prospects for the Irish economy and the measures taken by Government to restructure the Irish banking system and promote economic growth. I also toured Ireland House in New York and met officials from the various organisations located there. I also participated in Bloomsday celebrations.

My visit to Washington involved a series of meetings with the IMF, World Bank, US Treasury and the US Chamber of Commerce. A formal reception was also hosted by the Irish Ambassador where I had the opportunity to meet a wide selection of business people, Congressmen and other interested parties. Also while in the US, I had various press engagements including interviews with CNBC and Bloomberg. In line with common practice, I do not propose to provide the names of individuals who attended various meetings or engagements. This could jeopardise potential investment and, for example, hamper the ability of organisations such as the IDA to develop confidential relationships with target companies. I was accompanied on the trip by my Department's Second Secretary with responsibility for Bank Restructuring, Assistant Secretary in charge Budget and Economic matters, Press Officer, and my Special Advisor and Private Secretary. The full costs of the trip are not yet available as we are awaiting details from the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding accommodation and car hire costs. The costs of flights for myself and those who accompanied me on the trip amounted to €4,926.74.