The Department of Foreign Affairs paid out more than €21,000 for a four-star hotel for the Irish Ambassador in Cairo after his official residence was deemed “unsafe and uninhabitable”.
The Ambassador had to stay in the luxury Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences overlooking the Nile for almost four months last year because of “structural” issues discovered at his diplomatic residence.
Two separate accommodation bills were paid by the department, one for €11,438 and another for just over €10,000, according to invoices.
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The first bill was made out in the Ambassador’s name and covered a stay from July 8 to September 6 of 2021, covering the cost of 61 nights of accommodation at around €187 per night.
A second bill was later issued – this one covering a period from October 6 to November 30 – and was paid at a pre-agreed nightly rate of US$220.
The hotel itself boasts a heated outdoor pool, sauna, and steam room as well as poolside dining overlooking the River Nile.
The department said the Ambassador’s residence had been deemed unsafe for inhabitation late in May of last year and that they had an obligation to ensure all buildings they used met security, health, and safety standards.
They said that temporary accommodation costs for the rest of the lease on the Cairo residence had been paid by the property owner.
The department also paid out close to €46,000 on business-class flights last year, according to records they released under FOI.
A bill of €12,677 was run up on flights for three officials to travel from Ireland to Riyadh, with a connection outbound through London, and homewards via Amman and Istanbul.
The department said this trip had involved “high-level meetings” in Saudi Arabia as part of diplomacy work and said human rights concerns had also been raised during the visit.
Another €33,000 was spent on business class travel to the Australian capital of Canberra last year, records from the department showed.
The department said this had been approved because travel time exceeded 22 hours for two diplomatic staff and their family members who were returning to Ireland on completion of their postings.
They said: “Business class travel was granted due to the extremely long flight time for the journey.”
Other hefty bills from the department last year included just over €12,000 for three new couches for official accommodation in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.
The three sofas – each of which cost around €4,000 – were bought through Argo Art Consulting to replace “worn furniture” in a public area.
“It is essential that the furniture is in good condition and of appropriate size to facilitate the holding of events, and safety of guests,” the department said.
Another €17,487 was paid out for three intensive French language courses for diplomats taking up postings overseas.
Two of the in-person courses – which run for four weeks and cover the costs of bed and board – cost around €7,500 each with a 15% discount applied.
A third course, a long-distance five week ‘Program Solo’ cost €2,450, the department said.
The department said courses like these equipped diplomatic staff with “strong language skills to enable them to represent Ireland at the highest level abroad”.
A sum of €69,000 was also paid out by the department for an insurance policy for goods in transit including furniture, artwork, and other items being transported overseas.
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