The four TDs spending 12 days in Argentina and Chile will meet government officials, parliamentarians and business people, visit a Buenos Aires hurling club and enjoy some free time, the official itinerary shows.
Noel O'Flynn TD, who is leading the delegation, yesterday insisted the trip was "money well spent". The Oireachtas information office estimated it would cost up to €13,500, although the precise sum would not be known for some time.
Mr O'Flynn, chairman of the Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, explained yesterday that the TDs were examining the development of biomass energy and port facilities in Argentina and the salmon industry in Chile.
The itinerary of the four - Mr O'Flynn, Peter Kelly (FF), Denis O'Donovan (FF) and John Perry (FG) - is light on several days, although just one day of the 12 is free of engagements. None of the four could be contacted for comment yesterday.
Day one of the trip - last Monday - involved a visit to the Instituto Browniano, which celebrates the life of Admiral William Brown, the Mayo man who was founder of the Argentinian navy. A visit to a hurling club was scheduled for the afternoon.
On Tuesday they met government officials and received a briefing on Argentinian energy production.
Yesterday they met two parliamentary committees and toured Argentina's congress.
Today they will meet the president of Rosario Port and tour the port facilities before returning to Buenos Aires for a "buffet dinner" with the Irish Ambassador.
Tomorrow they visit Buenos Aires Port. The next day, Saturday, is free of engagements.
On Sunday they fly to Puerto Montt in Chile. On Monday they will visit aquaculture producers while on Tuesday they meet officials before flying to Santiago.
They drive to Valparaiso on Wednesday to meet the parliamentary fisheries committee and attend a lunch. On Thursday they will tour Valparaiso Port.
On Friday they return to Santiago where they will meet Chile's under-secretary for telecommunications and later, the president of the Salmon Chile company. They fly home the following day, Saturday May 14th.
Questioned on RTÉ's Morning Ireland about the visit, Mr O'Flynn said his committee "will be inviting the RTÉ authority and senior management in soon to review your work and to review your annual report, and you are more than welcome to come and ask as many questions as you like".
Asked if the trip represented money well spent, he again reminded the reporter of the nature of politicians' relationship with the national broadcaster, saying: "It is money well spent in exactly the same way that when we gave you your TV licence increase it was money well spent."