Cabinet meetings outside Dublin cost €10,000

Cabinet meetings held at two locations outside Dublin cost the taxpayer close on €10,000.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that the cost of the meeting in City Hall, Cork, in June, was €5,811, while the meeting in Emo, Co Laois, earlier this month, cost €3,739. The cost involved was accounted for mainly by support staff, accommodation, overtime and expenses, he said.

"Holding Government meetings outside Dublin is very much welcomed by local communities and provides an opportunity to meet local organisations and groups," he added. He said there were no specific further meetings planned at this stage.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that while he knew a greater distance was involved, clearly it was cheaper to hold a Cabinet meeting in Emo than in Cork. He added that when the Cabinet came to Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, in convoy, there was great speculation that all the announcements would deal with all the infrastructural projects in the west of Ireland. "God bless our naivety," he added.

Mr Ahern said he believed that all the commitments made were fulfilled, including the roads at Ballinasloe, Sligo and Kinnegad.

When Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) suggested that the Government parties were using public money to promote their political programme, Mr Ahern said he did not see a Cabinet meeting having anything to do with party political issues.