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THE STATE SPENT a total of €16,832 on gifts for visiting dignitaries like carriage clocks, vases, ceramic bowls, and silver cufflinks over the past 10 years.
Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, about the money that was spent on State gifts presented to foreign dignitaries.
‘Mutual appreciation’
In his answer to the parliamentary question, Gilmore said that it is “standard international practice in the context of Ministerial and other High-Level visits to exchange small, representative tokens of mutual appreciation”.
Gilmore pointed out that consultation takes place before the gift is chosen, “to ensure it respects the culture of the recipient and any ethics requirements”. These items are sourced in Ireland or are of Irish interest.
Newbridge carriage clocks were purchased for each head of delegation as a gift from the Tánaiste in his role as Chairperson in Office of the OSCE.
These were purchased at a reduced price of €45.38 and cost €3,902.68 in total to purchase them.
The figures released by the Tánaiste show that the amount of money spent on dignitaries’ gifts varied greatly over the past 10 years, in most cases simply due to the amount of dignitaries visiting.
The gifts
In 2003, €4,961.99 was spent on gifts, the most expensive of which was €145 on a Louise Kennedy 12″ Spindle Tree Vase for the Bahrain dignitary. Other expensive gifts included a Waterford Crystal Vase (€140), a Louise Kennedy crystal sea aster bowl (€144) and a Louise Kennedy Tri Star vase (€120).
In 2004, the spend on gifts came to €1649.82, with only one item reaching €140, for a Palestinian dignitary. In 2005, there were just 11 dignitaries given gifts totalling €668. The dignitaries came from Israel, Palestine and the Ukraine/Russia.
In 2006, the total reached €775, and gifts included a Patrick Francis scarf (€10), and a Celtic Warrior wallet and cufflink set (€40).
In 2007, large gifts including commemorative prints of the 50th anniversary of Ireland-Japan relations (€368) brought the total to €3069.
2008, meanwhile, saw 10 gifts bought, totalling €880 and including a Gold Cross pen (€80) and crystal cufflinks (€160).
The total dropped to €759 in 2009, with gifts including a €190 Declan Killen brooch.
In 2010, one of the most expensive gifts included a Waterford Crystal siren bowl (€160) for a Beijing dignitary, and the total for all gifts came to €1515.
Two years ago, in 2011, while there were only six gifts, they came to a total of €632 and included a framed ‘fáilte’ ogham stone, costing €180.
Last year, the spend was more than doubled from the previous year, to €1309.84, and included a three-person currach crafted in ceramic, costing €160, and a plain compact mirror (€12.40).
To date this year, the cost of gifts has reached €612.75, with the State choosing items such as the book A History of Ireland in 100 Objects (for a Turkish dignitary) (€15) and four pairs of €7 cufflinks.
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In 10 years!!! Seriously that is nothing…
Seriously, how is this even newsworthy? One fella scratching he’s hole on the dole for the last ten years would have cost us multiples of this. Yawn.
Lads, I think her point is that our government is embarrassingly cheap when it comes to gifts for foreign dignitaries. Surely that’s it…. :D
Another trawl of the bottom of the barrel.
I really am losing interest in this site.
It is outrageous that civil servants are spending so little. For Crissakes you spend more than that on sweets for the kids. No wonder the country is in the state it’s in. They cannot do anything right.
Hi there – the point of this article, like the point of many articles, was not to cause ‘outrage’. It was to be informative, as this sort of information isn’t always public for various reasons.
Some people aren’t familiar with the process behind choosing the dignitaries’ gifts either so it’s interesting to note the level of consultation involved.
Cheers,
Aoife
You are abs right aoife I think some people are disappointed with having no spleen to vent,
Stay away, Aoife! Comment sections are not for thoughtful commentary. They’re for endless moaning, ridiculous conspiracy theories and putting on of the poor mouth.
Also, boy, we are kinda cheap.
So, an average of €1682/year over a ten year period. How the hell is this considered newsworthy??
It’s news BECAUSE it’s so low.
Certainly, I found it interesting.
Thats a disgusting figure, I am outraged! While you are at it can you please find put how much was spent on bog roll in the same period? I’m feeling the need to be utterly pointlessly outraged today!
And who received this ‘ Celtic Warrior wallet and cufflink set (€40).’ I want images of this mythical warrior wallet!? Does it yield any power to the beholder? Did you give it to a money mover in the IMF? Was this the first step towards BAIL OUT?! Ahhhhh
Sounds like money well spent over ten years. Probably less than Charlie Haughey spent on shirts.
Money well spent as I see it. Wasn’t there a bar tab pushing half that figure recently for 1 night?
Slow news day?
I’m one of the first to give out about the government but in fairness I’m surprised that it’s not a lot more.
I’m qiite sure visiting dignitaries bring forth gifts to Ireland as well.
That’s the interesting bit Mike. Have these gifts to the state found their way to CS and politicians homes. Remember Andrews trying to flog “his” copy of the GFA.
As far as I know Gerbeen the gifts stay as property of the state.
But in fairness we can only keep so much.
Items that pertain to another countries culture etc (I think) goes to the museum or storage.
Maybe we should look at “re gifting”… that would be funny .
Re-gifting would need a committee to make sure we don’t offend!
Interesting article – the numbers are small perhaps its all public money should be in the public domain IMHO
There’s a general practice that gifts with a value over a certain amount (let’s say €1,000 because I’m not sure) become State property but the ministers etc who were given them are allowed to buy them if they want.
That sounds reasonable Fergus and it makes sense.
But I like the re-gifting idea for pure divelment.
Imagine presenting a Seik with a piece of African carving and trying to explain that it came from the African part of Ireland… If nothing else it would give us a giggle.
Getting so sick of this type of bullshit story… Talk about trying to turn every story into some sort of exclusive outrage or scandal.. Heads should roll.. Let’s have an enquiry.. The country is depressing enough without this type of lame, pointless journalism trying to gather together public anger for the sake of it..
Mutual appreciation would suggest some incomings as well. So long as they are dealt with within taxation rules.
What a non story. Slow news day? Journal scraping the bottom of the barrel again I see! Lefty anti government everything sh1te.
It actual seems like insultingly cheap gifts for international dignitaries. But I am interested in who decides what gifts are bought. Like why newbridge or Louise Kennedy. There are a lot of artisan craftsmen that could do with international promotion.
I’m sure the foreign dignitaries were delighted with their Carroll’s gift bags full of Chinese made Guinness tat. While your digging through the data for this non story you should have found out the prices if the gifts received so we could compare how cheap we are.
How desperate are journos to make stories out of nothing.
Ah yeah… Money well spent when your people are queuing up at dole offices, soup kitchens and airport departures.
And the €130 euro per month spent on this would have prevented how many people going on the dole, attending soup kitchens or emigrating whilst giving the overall impression to international dignitaries that Ireland is an impolite, inconsiderate nation prior to negotiations.
Where’s the soup kitchen? I’d love some soup on this cold morning.
Crow street has one.
lol my dole scrounging neighbour gets more than that on children’s allowance
Children’s allowance has absolutely nothing to do with claiming dole! So mayor fail on your part !
Stupid auto correct!
OK Kaz apart from her child benefit and rent allowance I should have just said she gets way more than that a year (let alone 10) on the dole. Happy?
There’s a soup kitchen?! When was This authorised?! And where the f@#k is it?!!!
Right, I’m opening the book on who’ll be the first person to say something along the lines of “I’m more saddened than angry about this”, possibly followed by a sad face. Anyone?
Mmmmmmmmm soup
The rest of the money they shared amongst themselves. Mmmmm $$
I’m thinking the figures are wrong! Should there be a 0 after the 1 ? I recall watches doing the rounds some years ago worth a few grand at least.
Lads you are missing the point. Gilmore got one of his back benchers to ask the question so he could tell the world how frugal he is with tax payers money. He is using the question as a smoke screen to distract the ” great unwashed ” from looking at something more important
I think there are much bigger and more important occurrences of wasting tax payer’s money than 17k spread over 10 years FFS
The media always trying to create negativity, thought the journal was different. Thought wrong.
My fault ” dignitaries gifts” .
They need to save the money for the government jet to swan around the world!!…
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