Kenny defends cost of visiting leaders

THE DEPARTMENT of the Taoiseach has spent about €150,000 to date on the visits last May of President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth, including catering and floral costs and the gift to the monarch of a book on horseracing, valued at €200.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the expected cost to his department of the US leader’s visit was €600,000, mainly for the organisation of the public event in College Green. Security for the two visits cost an estimated €36 million.

During Taoiseach’s questions, Mr Kenny told Richard Boyd Barrett (ULA, Dún Laoghaire) that Mr Obama’s visit had cost his department €125,838 thus far, including €14,483 for catering.

His department had spent €25,709 on the Queen’s visit to date.

Most of this was for “catering and transport arrangements for the wreath-laying ceremony in the War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge. More than 570 guests attended the ceremony” and catering cost €19,709.

Flowers and wreaths cost €1,182.38 while “the gift of a book on the horseracing industry” was €200. “Coach hire was €2,900, catering was €19,709.44, which included rashers.” Printing was €298 and equipment hire €1,419.

Mr Boyd Barrett questioned the cost of such “big glitzy occasions” when “brutal austerity” was being imposed on people.

Mr Kenny said he could not be serious when €36 million had to be spent on security because of the threat of dangerous organisations attempting to inflict their agenda on Irish society. He added that “at least €300 million in respect of beneficial coverage for the country was generated”.