Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the cost of his Department's stand at the National Ploughing Championship 2018; the number of staff deployed from his Department for the week; and the cost of same. [40354/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department participated in the National Ploughing Championships 2018 in order to increase public understanding of the ways in which the Department and Ireland’s diplomatic missions abroad engage with our international partners and wider audiences so as to advance the interests of Ireland and Irish citizens by supporting overseas trade, assisting Irish companies and State agencies and building Ireland’s global presence through the Government’s Global Ireland initiative, as well through highlighting Irish culture and promoting awareness of Ireland overseas.

Our involvement in the Championships also afforded an opportunity to deepen public understanding of the Department’s role in such areas as Online Passport Renewals, Ireland’s membership of the European Union and ongoing Brexit preparedness work and also in relation to Ireland’s campaign for election to the UN Security Council.

My Department’s stand attracted an estimated 12,000 visitors over the course of the four days of the 2018 Championships and we assess that this number would have been significantly higher had the organisers of the Championships not found it necessary to cancel the scheduled second day of the event due to adverse weather conditions.

The total cost of my Department’s stand was €47,421. This amount included such items as plot rental, design and construction of the stand and necessary health and safety facilities for visitors. Certain elements of this amount were incurred due to the additional fourth day on which the 2018 Championships took place.

My Department was represented at the Championships by 36 members of staff serving in rotation over the 4 days in question, with the bulk of these doing so in a volunteer capacity from their regular duties. Costs involved, including for local accommodation and transport requirements, amounted to €19,252.20. Certain elements of this expenditure likewise arose due to the additional fourth day on which the 2018 Championships took place.