Party bill at Irish embassies hits more than €3m
THE Government spent more than €3m on official entertainment -- including throwing parties and hosting special receptions -- at Irish embassies around the world last year.
But despite the straitened economic times, both the Government and opposition politicians last night defended the spend, maintaining that it represented good value for money.
Figures obtained by the Irish Independent under the Freedom of Information Act show that the bulk of the bill for running our embassies abroad went on wages and salaries for staff.
Substantial sums were also spent on travel and subsistence.
The figures show that the 77 embassies and consulates spent over €47m on wages, €1.5m on travel and €528,000 on subsistence costs in 2007.
The biggest spending embassy was in Brussels, where €203,812 was spent entertaining dignitaries and officials, €6,089,366 went on wage costs, €105,239 on travel, and €54, 553 on subsistence.
The European Union office in Brussels spent a further €29,327 on entertainment costs.
For entertaining guests and dignitaries, Washington was the next biggest spender with €183,526, followed by the consulate general in New York (€160,335), the London embassy (€145,941), the United Nations Mission in New York (€130,775) and Tokyo (€104,977).
Most of the entertainment spending goes towards holding g events like St Patrick's Day parties and special receptions for ministerial and presidential visits.
In contrast to the bigger spending offices like Brussels and Washington, lower spendingr embassies abroad include the passport office in London -- which spent no money on entertainment -- and the Nigerian embassy, which racked up a paltry bill of only €9.
When costs for wages, entertainment and representation, travel and subsistence are combined, the most expensive embassies in 2007 were Brussels, London, Paris, Washington, the consulate general in New York, the UN embassy and Berlin.
However, newly opened African missions set up under the Irish Aid programme also received large amounts of cash. In Africa, Mozambique was the biggest spender at €11,124,170, although the funds come from the Irish Aid programme for developing countries.
Outreach
A Department spokesperson last night said that the representational expenses were also incurred through "outreach" work carried out by Irish diplomats.
"This representational activity is an essential element of the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs, as it is for foreign ministries of all countries," the spokesperson said.
The Department also pointed to its work with food bodies like Bord Bia, and how a reception was hosted in the French embassy recently to reassure large French retailers about the safety of Irish pork.
However, the Department says there are "ongoing efforts" to reduce entertainment costs
The budget provision in 2009 for representational activity overseas has been reduced by €1m.
- Fiach Kelly
