Latest news with #DepartmentoftheTaoiseach
Irish Independent
21-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Ireland's smallest trade partner revealed, after ‘confidentiality' clause lifted
The 'winner' is Guinea-Bissau, a small country in west Africa, from which Ireland imported just €11.95 worth of produce last year. This represented just 0.00000001pc of the total value of our imports. By volume, it was 0.0005 tonnes, or 500g, the equivalent of a loaf of bread or a carton of butter. The detail was supplied by the Department of the Taoiseach in response to a Dáil question posed by Independent TD Carol Nolan. When Ms Nolan first asked for a list of the 20 countries from which Ireland received the least imports by value, the department said that 'for confidentiality reasons', the countries and territories from which Ireland buys less than €1m worth of goods were being aggregated into one group. There were 114 in the group. Last week, the Independent TD resubmitted the question, asking why confidentiality was being applied to the countries. 'A lot of parliamentary questions are not being answered,' she told the Irish Independent. 'I was curious to get the full details in the context of tariffs, which makes these trade questions topical.' Mary Butler, the Government Chief Whip, said the previous answer had 'incorrectly referred to a confidentiality designation relating to countries from which Ireland imported less than €1m. No confidentiality designation applies to this information.' She added that the Central Statistics Office, which compiles the information, sincerely apologised for the error. In second place on the list of the countries and territories with which Ireland does the least foreign trade was Mayotte, a small archipelago under French control between Madagascar and the east coast of Africa. Ireland bought €104 worth of produce from Mayotte last year, weighing one kilogram. In fifth place on the list was Heard Island and the McDonald Islands, an external territory of Australia and among the remotest places on Earth, which shot to international fame in April when Mr Trump imposed a 10pc tariff on it. In response, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said: 'Nowhere on Earth is safe.' Ireland imported €473.80 worth of goods from the islands last year, according to the information supplied by the department. Other remote and underpopulated islands in the top 10 include Pitcairn, Kiribati, the Falklands and St Lucia. In terms of bigger countries, we import the least from war-torn South Sudan, from which we bought just €2,824.28 worth of produce last year. This was only slightly behind the trade levels with Libya, also beset by internal conflicts, from which we imported just under €4,000 worth of produce. The value of all Irish imports last year came to €134bn, amounting to 45 million tonnes of produce.
The Journal
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Daniel O'Connell is getting a huge commemoration to mark his 250th birthday
THE 250th ANNIVERSARY of the birth of Daniel O'Connel will be celebrated with a programme of commemorative events in the coming weeks and months, including a State-led ceremony at his principal residence, Derrynane House in Co Kerry. O'Connell was born on 6 August 1775 in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry and went on to become a successful champion for the rights of Catholics to become members of parliament under British rule, an achievement that saw him given the moniker 'The Liberator'. The commemorative programme, which includes speeches, lectures, plaque unveilings, art exhibitions as well as educational and sporting events, officially kicks off on O'Connel's birthday but there will be events before and after 6 August. Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan announced the programme today, saying 'Daniel O'Connell was one of the most important figures in Irish political history, not just for what he achieved, but for how he achieved it. 'He believed in peaceful reform, in democracy, and in civil rights; ideas and concepts to which we should still aspire today. O'Donovan said the commemoration aims 'to highlight and celebrate Daniel O'Connell – the man and his political achievements'. In addition to celebrating O'Connell's legacy at home, the programme also includes events honouring his 'significant international impact as a champion for civil rights across the globe,' O'Donovan said. To that end, there are a number of events expected to take place abroad while some of the Irish commemorations will include contributions from speakers from the US and UK. The Irish ambassador to the UK will be holding a commemoration in London, while other events are expected to take place in Paris and Rome. The commemorative programme was developed by a number of government bodies and community groups working together, including the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, the Department of the Taoiseach, the OPW, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It was endorsed at the first sitting of the new Commemorations Advisory Committee, chaired by former RTÉ journalist Bryan Dobson. Each event has been considered 'in accordance with the ethos and values of commemorations including accessibility, respectful remembrance, historical accuracy and the creation of opportunities to engage young people and the Diaspora with the formative events, personalities and themes of our past,' the Department of Culture said in a statement. Advertisement The department said the programme was created with 'four commemorative pillars' in mind. Those are 'historical exploration, artistic and creative response, community-led commemoration and State Ceremonial'. The department did not provide dates for all of the events in the programme. The State-led commemoration at Derrynane House will be broadcast on the RTÉ News Channel and will also be available to watch back on RTÉ Player after the event. Elsewhere, the Daniel O'Connell Summer School will be open from 29-30 August and feature lectures on O'Connel's life and legacy in Cahersiveen, close to his birthplace. Taoiseach Micheál Martin will also deliver the O'Connell Lecture in Derrynane House. Local community groups also have a variety of events planned in Cahersiveen. The County Council in Clare, for which O'Connell served as an MP, will also be putting on a number of events. Trinity Collage Dublin is hosting the O'Connell 250 Symposium: Liberty, Democracy, and the Struggle for Human Rights on 20 July and Attorney General Rossa Fanning is among its chairs. Tánaiste Simon Harris will be speaking to the Bar Association at an event sometime in the Autumn. The Irish Georgian Society, Dublin City Council and Ulster Architectural Heritage will be holding a 'Study Day' in Dublin's City Assembly House. An Post has honoured O'Connel with his own stamp that's set to be launched on 31 July while Bank of Ireland has promised to donate a statue of O'Connell to Leinster House. It will be moved from the bank's College Green premises. The Central Bank has also proposed to mint a collection of commemorative coins. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Taoiseach denies early return from Japan for All-Ireland hurling semi-final
The Taoiseach has said his flight home from a recent trip to Japan was changed due to security advice, and denied it was in order to make it back for Cork's All Ireland semi-final at Croke Park. During a heated exchange with Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty at the Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Micheál Martin said his flight home travelled through Toronto rather than Dubai due to the risk of flight cancellations caused by airspace closures and the security situation facing the Middle East. He told the committee: "The people who organised the trip on my behalf took a view that the Middle East was problematic in terms of cancellations and activity. "The alternative would have had me in at 12pm, the way I went I came in at 8am. I had nothing to do with it - I don't book the travel. "In terms of the security at the time, these were booked a week in advance, in the Middle East there are issues we all know, and in terms of cancellation of flights and challenges, that was the precautionary approach that those who booked the flights took." Mr Martin later added: "Can I just say, categorically, the truth does matter in these matters. "This had nothing to do with the match, the match was on at 5pm that day, so either route would have had me in at 8 or 12." Mr Doherty said the "facts" were that Mr Martin would have missed the match, which the Taoiseach described as "rubbish". Mr Doherty asked if the security advice was shared by the Department of the Taoiseach with the media cohort who travelled to Japan to cover the trip. He said: "What you're telling us is your department had advice - do not fly into Dubai on the way home. "So you booked the flight home through Toronto at a cost to the taxpayer. But there was media travelling with you, and it appears you never shared the security advice to members of the Irish media. "If there was a security advice that risked you flying through Dubai, why would you not share that with other Irish citizens who were accompanying you on the trip?" Mr Martin said members of the media took their own advices and organised their own travel. Mr Doherty then pressed the Taoiseach on whether there was an additional cost in changing the flights, to which Mr Martin said to his knowledge there was not. Mr Doherty said: "Obviously there had to be an additional cost, is it not the case that there were already flights home through Dubai and then you went and booked other flights through Toronto?" Mr Martin said he would submit the final cost to the committee at a later date and that it would also be published online.
Irish Independent
05-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Kerry is ideal location for EU presidency meetings – ‘Where else would you bring them?'
Kerry TD Michael Cahill has said that the county with Killarney as the 'centrepiece' is the most suitable to host international Government ministers given the the provision of accommodation, food and conference facilities, that is available in the town and in the county as a whole. 'Visitors from every corner of the earth have been coming to Kerry for centuries now, to experience its beauty and serenity and have returned on many occasions because of the fabulous time they have enjoyed during their stay here. Where else would you want to bring the senior Government Ministers of all of our EU counterpart states, to experience Ireland, its customs and heritage? said Deputy Cahill. The TD said that they could visit the wonderful sights of the county on their 'downtime'. 'During their downtime, they can visit the Blaskets and Slea Head, Sceilg Mhichíl and the Ring of Kerry, Killarney's Lakes, Gap of Dunloe, National Park and Sliabh Luachra, all of our glorious beaches from Ballybunion to Rossbeigh, Kells to Ventry, Whitestrand to Inch, Ballinskelligs to Cromane, Waterville to Derrynane. "Kerry's golf courses are second to none, with so many to choose from. On to Listowel Writers Week and the Rose of Tralee and to top it all off three days at Puck Fair,' said the Rossbeigh TD. He said he has raised his plans with An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, the Tanáiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris, and the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for European Affairs Thomas Byrne. "If Killarney's bid is successful in bringing the Heads of State to our county for meetings, conferences and functions, it will be a massive boost to the local economy in Killarney and also throughout the county. 'Kerry and Killarney have the experience and the facilities to provide the ultimate experience for these very important visitors, who will bring tales of their travels home with them, initiating a fabulous marketing campaign on our behalf.' The Kerry TD said he will continue to fight for Killarney to host these meetings. "I will continue to push in the coming months for Killarney and Kerry to be included as bases for the rounds of meetings that are to take place from July 1st to December 31, 2026.
Extra.ie
30-06-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Taxpayers picking up €43.5K tab for Irish Ambassador's UK pad -- per month
The London residence of the Irish Ambassador to the UK is costing the taxpayer €43,500 per month – and is just one of a string of high-cost properties being rented by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The department has confirmed that it paid British estate agency Knight Frank €522,394 in 2024 to cover just a single-year lease on the property that's home to Ambassador Martin Fraser, a former Secretary General at the Department of the Taoiseach. The colossal bill for the property on Grosvenor Place – one of London's most expensive areas – was part of at least €3.95m paid out last year in rental costs for residences for senior Irish diplomats across the globe. Martin Fraser. Pic: Photocall Ireland/GIS Other sky-high lease costs included payments of €485,000 for the official residence in Tokyo, €291,000 for an apartment in New York, and €204,000 in payments in San Francisco. Meanwhile, the rental bill in Tel Aviv was almost €200,000, around €176,000 in Boston, and €135,000 in Seoul, South Korea. The department also ran up 15 separate hotel and accommodation bills in excess of €5,000 last year, according to figures that were released under Freedom of Information legislation. This included a spend of €30,480 at the five-star Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin 4 to host a delegation during the state visit by the President of Vietnam last October. There was another bill of €9,300 from the same hotel for a visit by the Egyptian president in December, while €5,241 was paid for accommodation at the Seven Alpina Hotel as part of Ireland's participation in the annual World Economic Forum in Davos. The department said a €8,408 bill at the four-star Fifty Sonesta Hotel in New York was for a staff member who was taking up a new diplomatic posting. Pic:Among the other bills last year were €24,054 paid out to the Dublin Airport Authority for 'platinum services' for visiting dignitaries. The Department of Foreign Affairs said this covered three separate delegations from Vietnam, South Africa, and China. To offset the carbon emissions of globe-trotting diplomatic staff, a sum of €99,623 was paid to the Government's climate action fund. The department said these payments have been government policy since 2020 and that the fund was used to support climate-related projects and initiatives in Ireland. In addition, a total of €97,000 was paid in legal 'settlement costs' at the Passport Office, a database of departmental expenditure for 2024 showed. But the department was tight-lipped on what was involved and stated that 'further details can't be released on confidentiality grounds'. A furniture removal bill of €26,019 was incurred last December, which covered the cost of bringing art back to the National Gallery and the Office of Public Works (OPW) from the continent. The department said: 'Pieces from Berlin and pieces from Stockholm were transported and returned to Ireland. 'The artworks on display in our mission properties are key promotional tools, helping us to promote Irish culture, values and heritage.' The art transport bill was part of at least €900,000 that was spent on removal and storage costs for staff packing up and moving to missions across the world. Other costs for the department included €4.65m for passport booklets and €8.6m for postage and courier costs. Around €64,000 was spent on chauffeured cars, €11,600 for a BMW vehicle in Washington DC, and a further €43,000 for 'items of artistic value'. There were €3.7m worth of invoices for major maintenance on residences overseas, including redecoration and construction. Asked about the high rental bill for the London residence in particular, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the property had been chosen following a market assessment process. On hotel and other VIP costs, they said: '[We are] responsible for the effective management of incoming visits by Heads of State and Government and other high-level foreign dignitaries coming to Ireland. These visits advance Ireland's values and interests, unlock opportunities, strengthen bilateral and multi-lateral relationships and position Ireland as a proactive and influential global partner.' This lavish spending is not new, as nine years ago, the MoS reported that a staggering monthly rent of €46,000 was being paid by the taxpayer for the Irish Ambassador's residence in Tokyo, Japan – when the most expensive property in the city at the time cost 30% less at €33,000 per month. Then-Ambassador Anne Barrington complained to the Irish Times that her husband's privacy had been violated after we revealed that he used the ambassadorial residence as a business address. The paper later printed a clarification which read: 'An article in last Thursday's edition stated that Ed Miliano, husband of Anne Barrington, is a designer and illustrator. Mr Miliano is an artist.'
