WITH LESS than two weeks to St Patrick’s Day, the Government is continuing to withhold the list of Ministers travelling out of Ireland to attend international celebrations.
It is understood that there will be no reduction in the numbers leaving, although the size of entourage with each Minister will be reduced.
Asked for a copy of the list of Ministers and their destinations, a Government Buildings spokesman said last night he was “not in a position to release it”.
It is understood all of the Ministers travelling abroad know their destinations. Minister of Health and Children Mary Harney has, however, scrapped plans to travel to India and stay in Ireland to deal with the Fair Deal nursing home legislation and the growing Health Service Executive budget crisis.
The Department of Finance has not issued a specific order to departments to curtail spending on the visits: “We are not micro-managing this,” said a department spokesman.
However, the department did order a 25 per cent cut across-the-board in travel and subsistence bills when it cut €2 billion from current spending this year.
In January, the Department of Finance told departments that foreign travel and subsistence costs must be “strictly appraised and monitored” and spending should be limited “to the minimum consistent with the requirements of the visit.
“Heads of departments should continue to ensure that only essential travel is undertaken and that the number of officers on any official journey is kept to the absolute minimum,” a finance officer then declared.
As debate about ministerial expenses continued, it emerged yesterday that the cost of Minister for Tourism Martin Cullen’s helicopter travel on Monday was almost €6,000.
Mr Cullen flew in an Air Corps AW139 helicopter from Waterford to Killarney (a 45-minute flight) and from Killarney to Dublin (a 65-minute flight), the Department of Defence said.
The total cost of the two flights was €5,738, based on the Department of Defence average hourly cost and the ministerial onboard flying time. This figure includes personnel, depreciation and fuel.
Mr Cullen’s first flight from Killarney to Dublin made an emergency landing shortly after take-off because the door of the helicopter dropped off in mid-air.
Nobody was hurt in the incident and Mr Cullen later continued his journey in a second helicopter.
Mr Cullen was travelling to Dublin for a 5.30pm meeting with Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan.
Flying by helicopter was the only way to keep all of his appointments due to travel and departure times, a Department of Tourism spokeswoman said last night.
Mr Cullen had a series of engagements in Killarney, including addressing the Irish Hotels Federation’s conference, his spokeswoman added.
Mr Cullen said on Monday he would not be travelling economy or with Ryanair for his St Patrick’s Day trip abroad.
Addressing a press conference in Killarney, Mr Cullen did not reveal where he was going for St Patrick’s Day, but said the plans were being “sorted out at the moment” for him.
He fully endorsed travel abroad by officials and politicians for the national day. The opportunity it offered for marketing Ireland was the envy of other countries.
Asked if he would be travelling by Ryanair, or at least on economy class, Mr Cullen replied he would be travelling internationally “and Ryanair don’t fly where I’ll be going”.
Pressed again by a Radio Kerry reporter about whether he would travel on economy class, Mr Cullen appeared irritated by the question and said firmly as he was called away to the conference: “I won’t be travelling economy. No.”