MINISTER FOR Health Mary Harney said yesterday her trip to Florida with the State training authority Fás in 2004 was "justified".
A Government spokesman released an itinerary for the trip which shows that the Government jet left Baldonnel airport on Wednesday, July 7th, and arrived in Florida that same day.
Ms Harney attended events associated with the Fás Science Challenge programme in Florida on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday evening the party of eight travelled to the coastal town of St Augustine, where they stayed until Monday morning. While there Ms Harney met relatives who travelled to the town to meet her.
The group travelling on the Government jet included: Ms Harney's husband, the then chairman of Fás, Brian Geoghegan; the former director general of Fás, Rody Molloy, and his wife; the then secretary general of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Paul Haran, and his wife; and Ms Harney's press secretary and her private secretary.
Ms Harney told reporters: "I was not on a holiday, I was there working."
She said the trip was justified as 15 top science and engineering graduates had a unique opportunity to be there on placement with Nasa for a year.
"We were very impressed with what we saw," she said.
Asked about a $410 hair salon bill incurred during the trip, Ms Harney said that when she was on official engagements, she only "engaged in legitimate expenses".
"I don't use taxpayers' money for personal grooming," she said.
"When I am on personal business I look after my own personal affairs. But clearly if I am on official business, and I stress official business, clearly those official expenses are paid and any personal expenses I would have on official business would never be claimed".
Ms Harney has already said the $410 bill did not relate entirely to her and she has said the treatment did not involve a manicure. I
She said the use of the jet on the trip was approved by then taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
A spokesman for Ms Harney said the itinerary for the trip was organised by Fás, which had suggested the trip to Ms Harney.
Ms Harney said she fully supported the ongoing inquiry by the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) into Fás. The committee's inquiry was prompted by an internal audit report which was in turn prompted by an anonymous letter containing certain allegations which was sent to Ms Harney in 2004 and which she referred on to Fás.
Mr Molloy resigned on Tuesday amid intense controversy over expenditure by Fás on trips to Florida.
The Fás board met again yesterday having met on Wednesday in the wake of Mr Molloy's resignation.
Following the meeting, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan said she "reiterated her disquiet at the recent revelations concerning activities in the public affairs division of Fás, including those relating to foreign travel, but welcomed the board's assurance that action had now been taken to deal with these matters".
She now wanted Fás to "remain focused on its core mission, given the employment and training challenges currently facing the country".