Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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180. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of official State visits his Department has been involved with for each of the past four years; the costs associated with same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15601/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A State Visit is the highest level of official visit from one country to another. It is undertaken by a Head of State and takes place at the invitation of one State to another. State Visits to Ireland include an official welcome ceremony at Áras an Uachtaráin, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance, a State Dinner hosted by the President and calls on the Taoiseach and the Oireachtas. Other elements can include business and community receptions and visits to places of historical, educational or cultural interest. As such, State Visits to Ireland provide an important opportunity to promote Ireland’s interests internationally and contribute to the development of strong economic, political and cultural links with other countries.Since 2014, the following five official State Visits to Ireland have taken place:

The costs associated with these visits are as follows:

*Plus one bill yet to be finalised.

In relation to costs for each visit, business is allocated with a view to ensuring value for money combined with an appropriate level of service.

Staff costs have not been included in the reply. The division in my Department which manages State Visits also manages visits to Ireland by a range of foreign dignitaries. Staff members in this unit routinely work on multiple visits at the same time and it is therefore impractical to identify specific staff costs related to individual visits.