Ryan says he didn't know taxpayer paid VIP lounge bill
Tuesday November 24 2009
COMMUNICATIONS Minister Eamon Ryan has claimed he "didn't know" taxpayers footed the bill for expensive VIP airport lounges used by him and other politicians.
The Green Party minister and his entourage racked up bills totalling more than €5,100 from using the luxury service nine times during his first year-and-a-half as a minister, documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.
Mr Ryan last night said he had assumed the lounges were provided free to him and his officials before boarding flights.
He insisted he stopped using the service as soon as he became aware of the high costs involved -- on some occasions more than €800 for just a few minutes.
Other notable foreign travel costs run up by the minister included chauffeur bills totalling €12,700, more than €500 on suit hire, and €224 on business cards, as well as smaller bills for in-room movies, minibar costs and leisure centre usage.
The chauffeur costs included bills totalling €4,390 from a visit to San Francisco and New York for St Patrick's celebrations earlier this year. More than €600 in gratuities were paid to two New York chauffeurs during the visit.
Mr Ryan appeared to have been unprepared for engagements on at least two foreign visits as suits or jackets had to be hired by him and one of his officials at short notice.
Dinner jackets for Mr Ryan and the official were hired for a function in Berlin in February last year at a cost of €284.
On a visit to New York for St Patrick's celebrations last March, suits were hired for the minister and an official for another event, at a cost of €225.
The documents reveal that the minister's total expenses from the 20 foreign trips he has made since being appointed in June 2007 top €59,000.
Last night, Mr Ryan defended most of the bills, insisting he had repaid the Department of
The minister's total expenses from 20 foreign trips top €59,000
Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for any personal costs incurred.
In a statement, he conceded that he did not believe the VIP lounge expenses were justified.
However, despite the large chauffeur bills, he insisted he had not forgotten his green credentials. Mr Ryan said the cars were hired only when public transport was not an option.
In cases where cars were needed, he said he always requested that the relevant embassy hire vehicles which were as "environmentally friendly as possible". Mr Ryan said he presumed they would also get the "least cost quote".
The minister said that whenever he could, he used public transport, cycled or walked to engagements.
He said that while on official business overseas he had used the New York subway, a train between New York and Washington, the Tokyo metro, the tube in London and trains in Sweden.
Mr Ryan added he had also walked to events in London and Paris.
Defended
The minister also defended suit hire bills. Mr Ryan claimed he was not made aware in advance of the visit to Berlin, where he was accompanying President Mary McAleese on a state visit, that a dress suit was required for one function.
He also said he did not have a dress suit with him when he travelled to New York and was forced to hire one for an event.
With regard to the business card expenses, Mr Ryan said he and his officials had needed cards in Korean and Japanese for visits to those countries.
Mr Ryan visited Seoul for an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development meeting before flying on to Tokyo, where he visited technology companies and attended an Ireland-Japan Chamber of Commerce dinner.
The records released to the Irish Independent indicate Mr Ryan ran up 47,600 air miles, with a corresponding carbon footprint of almost 27 tonnes, during the 20 foreign visits.
Mr Ryan said carbon credits had been bought to offset all of his flights.
He said he had personally paid €843 out of his own pocket to offset carbon emissions on seven of his journeys.
The remainder were paid for by the taxpayer after the Government started paying for carbon offsetting in April last year.
- Shane Phelan, Investigative Correspondent
Irish Independent
