Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has carried out an assessment on the increased costs to his Department in 2013 due to the Presidency of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53798/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU which commenced on 1 January 2013 is about getting the business done and pursuing our policy objectives in the most cost-effective way possible. In all aspects of the administrative planning, which my Department leads on, we have aimed to ensure that we are equipped to fulfil our responsibilities, meet reasonable expectations of a Presidency and do so in as cost-effective a fashion as possible. The Book of Estimates published on 5 December included an allocation of approx €36m for Presidency costs in 2013 for all Departments. The allocation for my Department amounts to €9.5m. In addition to covering costs for our own Presidency staff and programme of events it includes funding for a number of goods and services which we are managing on behalf of Departments including high-level interpretation, VIP transport and catering at state-owned venues. This centralised approach is being taken to achieve better value for money by using the combined purchasing power of all Departments/Offices.

A number of cost-saving measures have been introduced. This includes the use of Dublin Castle and other State venues for the vast majority of meetings that will be hosted by Ireland during the Presidency. At the Permanent Representation in Brussels, all additional staff are being accommodated in the existing office premises thus saving the additional rental cost that separate office accommodation would entail.

In addition the volume of goods and services supplied to the Presidency has been critically reviewed and restrictions are in place in relation to matters such as local transport. Where possible, procurement has been aggregated in order to benefit from greater buying power.

In addition, my Department is overseeing offers of sponsorship in respect of some core services and also in some sectoral areas. The total estimated value of this sponsorship is €1.4 million.