Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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27. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the costs incurred by his Department in using VIP services at Irish airports during Ireland’s chairmanship of the OSCE and the Irish Presidency of the European Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41190/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The total cost of services for visiting ministers and heads of state and government provided by the Dublin Airport Authority incurred during Ireland’s Chairmanship of the OSCE and during our EU Presidency amounted to €209,660. These services facilitate secure and prompt entry and exit from the airport; a necessary security measure for heads of state and government. The costs arising in connection with the EU Presidency for all Government departments for meetings convened throughout the six-month Presidency by every Minister and Minister of State comes to €178,091.

Thirteen European Council Ministerial meetings, attended by the relevant ministers from all 27 EU member states in each case and other high level meetings were hosted in Dublin during the EU Presidency. In accordance with standard international practice relating to the courtesies extended to visiting high-level representatives facilities at the airport were provided for high level delegations only. Other high profile attendees included UN Special Rapporteur on Syria, Lakdar Brahimi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In line with normal practice for large-scale Government events, my Department negotiated a reduced rate for the service for the duration of the Presidency which yielded considerable savings. All presidency-related events and costs were conducted in the most cost-effective manner possible. In 2004 the Presidency budget was €93million, the overall costs when everything was accounted for was €110million. The Presidency budget for 2013 was €60 million 36% lower than the 2004 Presidency. The costs arising in connection with the OSCE Chairmanship amounted to €31,569.