Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Ministers in his office have increased the number and cost of foreign trips by a third since assuming office compared to his predecessor Brian Cowen and his team.

Analysis by The Irish Times of foreign travel by the Taoiseach, his Ministers of State, and their delegations shows that the Department of An Taoiseach has spent €108,000 on commercial flights, accommodation, limousine hire and other costs in the first nine months of 2012. This figure of 108,000 euro does not include the cost of travelling on either of the government jets, which the Taoiseach frequently uses. In contrast, in 2010. The then Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, his department’s ministers, and delegations spent a total of €64,000 in the first nine months of that year.The breakdown of costs also showed Coalition delegations have made almost a third more trips than their predecessors.

The new Government has managed to reduce dramatically the number of flying hours on the two government jets, a Learjet and a Gulfstream, from 320 hours in 2010 to slightly over 200 hours in 2011. However, the reduction is attributable to fewer senior Ministers being allowed use of the jet. A Minister who requests the jet must show that there are no alternative scheduled flights available or make an exceptional case on grounds of urgency.

The Taoiseach is the most frequent user of the jet and this is expected to increase during Ireland’s presidency of the EU. He will use it on tomorrow when he visits three capital cities in three countries during the course of one day, before returning to Dublin that evening. They are: Budapest, where he will meet Hungarian prime minister; Vienna, where he will meet Austrian chancellor; and Berlin, where he will accept the “European of the Year” prize, awarded by VDZ magazine.