Written answers
Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Official Travel
Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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102. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total costs associated for his Department in relation to trips abroad taken by Ministers in his Department in each of the past five years and to date in 2024.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41757/24]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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Please see the total travel costs associated with my Department between 2019 and to date in 2024 below. I would ask the Deputy to note that my travel costs for 2023 and 2024 were recouped from the European Council as I was travelling on Eurogroup business. The only exception to this was a visit to London in May 2024 where I represented the Government at an Ireland Funds event.
I would also like to further note that Minister of State Ossian Smyth TD might have additional travel costs associated with his role as MOS at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
I would note that for 2019, the costs associated with travel for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform were borne by the Department of Finance as I held both portfolios at that time. Finally, the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath TD did not undertake any official travel in 2020 due to the pandemic.
| Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform | Total |
|---|---|
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2021 | 2,223.49 |
| 2022 | 24,795.85 |
| 2023 | 26,105.63 |
| 2024 | 8,258.39 |
| Ministers of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and | Total |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 40,016.31 |
| 2020 | 8,997.55 |
| 2021 | 35,096.85 |
| 2022 | 16,032.90 |
| 2023 | 6,742.30 |
| 2024 | 13,715.85 |
To conclude I would ask the Deputy to note that there are some outstanding figures that I will provide to him as they are being complied. They include:
- The 2021 and 2022 expenses for then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath TD and his advisers that have been requested from the National Shared Services Office (NSSO).
- The hotel costs associated with a 2022 visit to the United States taken by then Minister McGrath
- The costs associated with any travel undertaken by then DPER Secretary General Robert Watt undertook with the Minister for Public Expenditure between 2019 and August 2021, which have been requested from the NSSO; and
- The expenses of then Minister of State Patrick O'Donovan and his adviser prior to his appointment as Minister of State at the Office of Public Works in July 2020
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