Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Irish flags, vodka and a Che Guevara stamp: Gifts given and received by Varadkar and Coveney in 2019

Books, hampers and historical gifts are often given to heads of state.

1 An Post Che An Post / RollingNews.ie An Post / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

IT’S CUSTOMARY FOR heads of state to exchange gifts when one leader visits another.

Presents given by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Simon Coveney and other members of the Cabinet are usually made in Ireland and representative of Irish culture or history. Irish flags, books and Bord Bia food hampers are regularly gifted to leaders of other countries.

This year, documents released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act show that Varadkar was particularly fond of giving out Irish flags and silver coins made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote in Ireland (2018).

flags Department of the Taoiseach Department of the Taoiseach

During his visit to the US to mark St Patrick’s Day in March of this year, the Taoiseach gave President Donald Trump the customary shamrock bowl (worth €300), as well as gifting Trump, his wife Melania and his youngest son Barron with brown tweed flat caps worth €13.53 each.

us visit Department of the Taoiseach Department of the Taoiseach

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the country’s top Democrat, received a gift worth €535.05 for the US House of representatives: a print of the historic 1938 vellum scroll which was presented to Ireland when the 1937 Constitution was enacted.

When Trump visited Ireland in June, the Taoiseach gave him a framed historic map of the landscape of Doonbeg in Co Clare, where the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel is located, worth €205.35.

This is not the first time Varadkar has gifted Trump with something golf-related.

coins Department of the Taoiseach Department of the Taoiseach

Trump also received a book about the Wild Atlantic Way worth €15 and Melania was given a Children of Lir brooch worth €123.75.

When US Vice President Mike Pence visited Ireland in September, he was given a framed Copy of the Irish Army Census Record of his grandfather (worth €95) while other members of his family received a tablecloth, a brooch and a framed picture.

pence Department of the Taoiseach Department of the Taoiseach

President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez was gifted a framed commemorative stamp of Che Guevara (no cost) when he came to Ireland in October. The stamp, which features the famous artwork of Guevara by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick, was released by An Post in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the controversial revolutionary.

Under section 15 of the Ethics in Public Office Act (1995) gifts presented to office holders valued in excess of €650 are deemed to be gifts to the State and must be recorded accordingly following valuation through the Office of Public Works.

The Taoiseach did not receive any gifts worth more than €650 this year.

Seamus Heaney books 

Coveney, who is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, preferred one gift above all others in 2019: 100 Poems by Seamus Heaney. Of the 18 foreign dignitaries and ministers he gave gifts to from January to November, 10 received this book (which retails at €10-15). 

Instead of the book, Coveney gave Pence a chess set while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was given cufflinks.

Commenting on the gifts, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: “It is standard practice to exchange modest gifts between ministers and visiting dignitaries during ministerial and other high level visits.

“Gifts presented by ministers of the department are sourced in Ireland or are of Irish interest and are purchased on a basis of the most economically advantageous cost savings arrangements, value for money and high-quality products.

The nature of the gift is given particular care to ensure that it respects the culture and relevant requirements of the recipient. The exchange of gifts provides a platform to promote Irish craftsmanship and goods internationally and helps to strengthen the economic and cultural links between the countries involved.

The Tánaiste also did not receive any gifts worth more than €650 this year. However, his department did keep a record of the gifts he was given. These presents included: 

  • A bottle of vodka and assorted toiletries from the Russian-Ireland Parliamentary Friendship Group 
  • Four bottles of Georgian wine (two for St Patrick’s Day and two for Easter) from His Excellency George Zurabashvili, Ambassador of the Republic of Georgia 
  • A box of Ferrero chocolates and Easter eggs from a representative of Ferrero UK & Ireland 

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.

Close
13 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fintan O'Halloran
    Favourite Fintan O'Halloran
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:35 PM

    I’ve heard it all

    836
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mitten
    Favourite John Mitten
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:41 PM

    @Fintan O’Halloran: not much that can actually be added to your comment. Over the last few days the claims have been out of this world. We have a man winning because he was promoted. Then a women because she informed her new employer she was 9weeks pregnant 1 week in to employment and was let go. But the promoted one is the best. I pray these are all satire

    375
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute fintolini
    Favourite fintolini
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:03 PM

    @John Mitten: Most new roles have a probationary period, 6 months and its for both employee and employer to ensure the role fits etc.
    Surely one of the parties could have realised in that time period that something fundamental wasn’t right. A process that encompasses a PIP rarely leads to satisfaction on both sides, perhaps if they looked at the actual cause of the issue, they could have moved him to a more suitable role and allowed another person who was more suitable for the role a chance.

    109
    See 8 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Hans Vos
    Favourite Hans Vos
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:03 PM

    @John Mitten: one month in employment not one week.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mitten
    Favourite John Mitten
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:10 PM

    @Hans Vos: read the article again. It states 1 week.

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Hans Vos
    Favourite Hans Vos
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:30 PM

    @John Mitten: yea you’re right. Mea culpa!

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mitten
    Favourite John Mitten
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:38 PM

    @Hans Vos: none of these should have got a cent. I really hope courts over rule them.

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Al Madzer
    Favourite Al Madzer
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:57 PM

    @John Mitten: I think it’s a recommended payout. It’s not enforceable and usually the complainant has to go to court to attempt to get the money.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bart
    Favourite Bart
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 9:08 AM

    @fintolini: ha ha ha, probation is for employee benefit, ha ha ha

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gareth Cooney
    Favourite Gareth Cooney
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 11:57 AM

    @John Mitten: plus the lady who sued for reading and responding to emails at home after work she was awarded €6k and appealed for more and won an additional €1.5k

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jim
    Favourite Jim
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 2:36 PM

    @Fintan O’Halloran: muppet

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen East
    Favourite Stephen East
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:43 PM

    My god…..a legal article we can actually comment on

    336
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mitten
    Favourite John Mitten
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:48 PM

    @Stephen East: dreams do come true

    99
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
    Favourite Shawn O'Ceallaghan
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 11:16 PM

    @Stephen East: not really a legal article. Its a recommendation court basically. Bank can refuse to pay and it would mean fun at a civil court level

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Flood
    Favourite Martin Flood
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:20 PM

    So he gets rewarded for being thick?

    332
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute G Fitz
    Favourite G Fitz
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 10:52 PM

    @Martin Flood: I don’t think he was thick, maybe lazy?

    95
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ManUtdMan
    Favourite ManUtdMan
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 11:22 PM

    @G Fitz:Treated a serious position as a plum job, sacked & still worked out a way of getting paid from a bank. This boy ain’t thick lads.

    149
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran O Shea
    Favourite Ciaran O Shea
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:41 PM

    You can sue for anything in Ireland!!

    246
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Smith
    Favourite John Smith
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:21 PM

    I thought this was Waterford Whispers for a moment…

    183
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ciaran kehoe
    Favourite ciaran kehoe
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:47 PM

    Who actually appoints these people who are on these committees making crazy decisions like that one. He gets awarded because is not up to the job & won’t take his training seriously. He would probably also have also won a case if he had not been promoted. Who in their right mind would want to be an employer in this country when no matter what you do employee’s win cases like this. The people making these awards are the ones not up to the job

    202
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fat Face 99
    Favourite Fat Face 99
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:43 PM

    ‘His representative said he should have been demoted’

    I’m guessing that would have been worth more than €6600 for him……….

    141
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Niall
    Favourite Niall
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 10:28 PM

    Well, I suppose he did work for a business that got 85billion from the taxpayer because it failed.

    92
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry Cahill
    Favourite Terry Cahill
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 9:31 AM

    @Niall: I can’t see the name of the Bank anywhere … did I miss it ?

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maria
    Favourite Maria
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:58 PM

    Is it only me but why are their name’s never released? If I was an employer I would want to know the outcome of this case.

    67
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Flood
    Favourite Martin Flood
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 10:12 PM

    @Maria: Exactly. And make sure he’s never promoted, just in case.

    57
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick O'Farrell
    Favourite Patrick O'Farrell
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 12:37 AM

    I’d love to know which bank. I spent 15 yrs working with a large national bank and it was there I learned that AEDS (Arse Elbow Differentiation Syndrome) was rampant in management in Irish banks. If you played the game you got promoted but if you dared question you were as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit. Nothing has changed in the Irish banks, they reward incompetence and dishonesty and penalise honesty and engagement.

    103
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tracey Coleman
    Favourite Tracey Coleman
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 7:48 PM

    @Patrick O’Farrell: Performance Improvement Plans are used in PTSB.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Noel Bradley
    Favourite James Noel Bradley
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:39 PM

    Good for him

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pixie McMullen
    Favourite Pixie McMullen
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 12:39 AM

    I’ m just wondering who gave him a job with a significant pay rise, and does he know what he has let himself in for.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jun Stone
    Favourite Jun Stone
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 5:59 AM

    @Pixie McMullen: maybe, just maybe the bank were unreasonable and there’s nothing wrong with the guy, after all he has a new job with more money, you wouldn’t know what was at play here.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George McCarthy
    Favourite George McCarthy
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:52 PM

    Why are these payments so low????

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mitten
    Favourite John Mitten
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 8:59 PM

    @George McCarthy: As payments for stupidity go this is high.

    203
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gasher
    Favourite Gasher
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 6:15 AM

    So basically a man applies for a job that he hasn’t got the skills/qualifications for and the sues his employer because HE was incompetent!!!!
    During the interview, I assume there was one, I would imagine he told the interviewers that he was the best thing since sliced bread.
    This country is heading down the drain.
    By the same token Leo could sue the state, saying that he was promoted to the top job by Enda, while Enda knew he was incompetent and hadn’t got the skills to carry out his duties. This would then set a precedent where Simon Harris, Paschal, Eoghan and a few more could sue the state to top up their giant pensions and golden handshakes.

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Darby
    Favourite James Darby
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 10:17 PM

    He’s obviously not so stupid after all, he’s just got over 6 grand for nothing.

    71
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rory J Leonard
    Favourite Rory J Leonard
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 11:07 PM

    @James Darby:

    Sounds like this reasonable man quickly determined that the climb up the greasy pole to a more senior management role, and presumably additional pay, was not worth the effort and not all it’s cracked up to be, and decided to slide back down again to a quieter less stressful life. I can see the injustice here!

    He’s right to not let them take the pis.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gareth Cooney
    Favourite Gareth Cooney
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 12:11 PM

    @Rory J Leonard: he’s gone on to fly a plane for Ryanair.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joseph Dempsey
    Favourite Joseph Dempsey
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 5:53 AM

    Interesting the Journal permitting comments on this case and yet not permitted on at least 10 other WRC cases over the past few weeks?

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Slater
    Favourite Dave Slater
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 9:57 PM

    The Peter Principle.

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seán Kinsella
    Favourite Seán Kinsella
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 7:11 AM

    It’s not work I’m after, it’s employment, your honour.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan
    Favourite Dan
    Report
    Aug 12th 2018, 11:29 PM

    I should be making a fortune then…

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Heery
    Favourite Gerard Heery
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 7:44 AM

    If that’s the case all the government are entitled to it

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Raymond McGee
    Favourite Raymond McGee
    Report
    Aug 13th 2018, 12:16 AM

    It is a legally binding decision by an individual WRC adjudicator but it can be appealed by either party to the Labour Court, a 3- person tribunal, whose decision is final

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds