'Five-star' minister runs up €67,000 bill
Cullen flew first-class, stayed in top hotels and dined on €2,500 allowance during last summer's trip to Olympics
THE Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and three officials ran up a hotel bill of €33,000 during a €67,657 trip to Beijing for the Olympics last summer.
Martin Cullen, his private secretary, a senior official and his press adviser stayed in the five-star China World Hotel, the Ascott Hotel in Beijing and the Island Shangri-La hotel in Hong Kong for 19 nights -- averaging €435 per person per night.
On top of their hotel costs, the minister and his officials also collected a generous civil service subsistence allowance to cover the cost of their meals which came to €10,381 -- or an average of €2,500 per person.
The grand total of the minister's presence at the Olympic Games came to €67,657, including €2,000 on the cost of car hire to whisk them around the Olympic cities, €17,000 on return flights to China and another €5,016 on internal flights while there.
The minister's first-class travel caused controversy during the Games last Summer when one athlete complained that he sat in economy while Mr Cullen bedded down in a first class seat in his pyjamas.
Mr Cullen flew first- or business-class on all international legs of the journey. A "senior official" -- not named -- travelled business class. The other officials travelled economy.
Mr Cullen set off for Beijing on August 4, with John Conroy, his private secretary, Donagh Morgan, assistant secretary for sports, and Michelle Hoctor, his press adviser. The total cost of the minister's trip was released by the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism on Friday under the Freedom of Information Act. A statement on behalf of the department said: "Flights and accommodation for events such as the Olympics are always at a high premium . . . Both this department and the Department of Foreign Affairs, who were involved in the procuring of accommodation and car hire, made every effort to secure the best possible rates for the minister and his delegation."
Meanwhile, Enterprise Ireland released its expenses for the first three months of 2008. The agency responsible for promoting Irish enterprise at home and abroad spent €10,000 on six flights in those months, the most expensive of which were two flights to Johannesburg in January.
Frank Ryan, the chief executive, travelled first class at a cost of €5,598.62 while Gerry Murphy, executive director, travelled economy at a cost of €4,601.
- MAEVE SHEEHAN
