State guest house used most by tour groups

Farmleigh, the official State guest house, is being used much more by tour groups than by visiting dignitaries since it opened to the public in July.

When the Government purchased the mansion in the Phoenix Park, it emphasised its value as a secure guesthouse for visiting dignitaries. However, the house was used for this purpose for just 11 nights between September and last month.

Yet it played host to some 60 tour groups, over 20 meetings, lunches and dinners, and thousands of people during its open days.

Some 37,000 people have visited the house since it opened, according to the Office of Public Works. Some 8,000 visited on the first open day, while an average of 2,000 a day visited during four open days in December.

From Easter Sunday until the end of October, the house will be open every Sunday and every bank holiday monday.

The Government bought Farmleigh in June 1999 for more than €29 million and spent €22 million refurbishing it.

The Chinese leader, Mr Zhu Rongji, was the first visiting dignitary to stay at Farmleigh when he arrived with his entourage for a two-night stay on September 2nd last year.

The next visit was from the President of the Republic of Lithuania, who stayed at the house from September 24th to 26th.

A British-Irish inter-parliamentary body spent a night at the house in October, while an Icelandic parliamentary delegation stayed at the house from November 13th-15th.

A Government spokeswoman said Farmleigh was being used exactly as intended by the Government. It was purchased for three reasons: for visiting dignitaries, for high-level meetings and for the public.

"The Taoiseach was very keen that it would be for all the people of Ireland," she said.

The spokeswoman said the house had been a major success for visiting delegations and they had been very impressed with the facilities.