Department spent almost €50,000 on Chinese premier's visit

Ken Foxe

The Department of Foreign Affairs spent almost €50,000 on an official overnight visit of Chinese premier Li Qiang, paying out nearly €9,000 for VIP airport services and more than €2,700 to quite literally roll out a red carpet for the delegation.

Invoices released by the department detail a range of costs, including interpretation, crowd control barriers, limousine transport, and a trailer toilet for the overnight visit, which took place amid a major Garda security operation.

Spending included €6,728 for two interpreters for two days to provide simultaneous and consecutive translation, which included €600 for their flight costs and a further €323 for their accommodation.

A note from the contracted company said: “While [we undertake] to perform our translation services with all due care and attention, we do not take responsibility for errors and omissions.”

The Office of Public Works (OPW) sent the department a bill for €11,081 for the arrival of the Chinese delegation into Dublin Airport.

This included €2,706 “to include [red] carpet and personnel for installation”, as well as €615 for two planters to provide additional weight to stop the carpet blowing away.

Other costs for the OPW were €5,412 for a “tiered media riser” and €221 for crowd control barriers.

The VIP airport bill was €8,778, which covered the cost of a ramp transfer for the large Chinese delegation and was paid to the daa.

Other costs included €9,747 for the delegation and motorcade transport as well as €4,135 for a bus for media.

The transport was hired through Optimum Chauffeur Drive, with a Mercedes S Class, a Mercedes MPV, a luggage van, and an executive sedan among the vehicles provided during the short visit.

There was also a bill of more than €2,300 for the creation and printing of accreditation badges for security, drivers, embassy staff, the delegation, and journalists.

Other costs during the trip included €4,451 paid to the RDS for rental as a media centre, €1,107 for printing booklets for the delegation, and catering costs of €1,869.

Asked about the records, a spokesperson said: “The Department of Foreign Affairs was pleased to release records, under FOI, on the recent visit of dignitaries from China, and has no reason to comment further on this visit.”

An Garda Síochána said it was too early to say how much the visit had cost them, with invoices from suppliers as well as overtime, travel, and subsistence costs for gardaí still being compiled.