Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 644: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the fund from which the recent State visits were paid; if the National Roads Authority were allocated additional funds; if so, the amount of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14108/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Any costs incurred by the Department's agencies arising from the recent State visits were funded by the agencies from their own budgets and, to date, no additional Exchequer funds have been made available to the NRA or any other departmental agency for that purpose.

Moreover, I would draw the Deputy's attention to the significant positive international media coverage that this State received from these recent visits. According to research carried out on behalf of Fáilte Ireland, the combined visits generated - in media advertising equivalent terms - €298 million of coverage through 37,795 separate print and broadcast pieces. This media coverage was predominately in two of our most important tourist markets, Great Britain and the USA.