The Irish Mail on Sunday

WIZARDS OF OZ

TDs and senators are updating social media accounts on their political activities – even though they are in Australia. So why the mystery over their itinerary?

- By Anne Sheridan

LEAS Ceann Comhairle Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher is leading a political entourage to Australia at a cost of tens of thousands of euro to the taxpayer.

But the Dáil’s deputy chairman’s ‘mystery tour’ Down Under – with four other Oireachtas members – became more mysterious when he deleted an image of him and his wife flying business class from Ireland to Sydney, where they reached 32C degrees yesterday.

The cost to the taxpayer of the five business class flights alone would amount to at least €25,000, as a return flight to Australia on business class costs between €5,000 to €6,000 depending on the date of travel.

However, the visit is part of a bilateral arrangemen­t whereby an Australian delegation visited Ireland earlier this year, an arrangemen­t that is expected to cost the Irish taxpayer around €40,000.

At the beginning of the trip, on Thursday, November 22, Mr Gallagher posted a picture of himself and his wife, Ann Gillespie, on Facebook, showing them in business class with Etihad Airways. It included the caption: ‘Looking forward to meeting the Donegal diaspora.’

Mr Gallagher’s wife Ann and her sister Eileen, who were described by a judge as ‘evil and sinister IRA bombers’, served nine years of a 14-year sentence in England for causing explosions and conspiring to cause arson during the IRA’s terror bombings in Britain in the early 1970s.

The picture was quickly removed after he was subjected to criticism that he was wasting taxpayer’s money.

And to add to the outrage, the Oireachtas has now refused to release the itinerary of the five politician­s touring Australia, with a spokespers­on telling the Irish Mail on Sunday that an outline of their tour could only be gained under the Freedom of Informatio­n Act.

Deputy Gallagher’s travelling companions, include fellow Fianna Fáil Deputy Anne Rabbitte, Fine Gael Senator Gabrielle McFadden, Fianna Fáil Senator Gerard Horkan and Fine Gael Senator Paddy Burke. Other than Deputy Gallagher’s Facebook faux pas, none of the travelling party had made it known to their constituen­ts through social media that they were on official business to Australia until the MoS began to question them.

In fact, there were numerous postings on politics at home from Ms Rabbitte during the week and only after the MoS raised the issue did she eventually send best wishes from Australia on Twitter and Instagram as late as yesterday morning.

Indeed, for Deputy Rabbitte and Senator McFadden a number of social media updates appeared to suggest it is business as usual for the public representa­tives.

And when asked by the MoS for a copy of the itinerary – from Australia – Deputy Gallagher said he only had a ‘hard copy’ of his travel plans in his possession.

‘My programme includes meetings in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. In addition, I hope to meet diaspora in Sydney where there are many young Donegal emigrants,’ he added. A short time later, he issued a press release to all media – at approximat­ely 7am Australian time – on how the mackerel quota for next year would impact upon the north-west.

When it was put to the Oireachtas that the Leas Ceann Comhairle had given implicit permission for the itinerary to be released by suggesting that it was only the lack of an emailable copy that prevented him sending it to this newspaper, the Oireachtas insisted that FoI was the only route any further details could be gleaned through.

In an attempt to be helpful – and having worked out the difference­s in time zones – the MoS then contacted the internatio­nal relations division of the Australian parliament in Canberra, seeking the details. An assistant for the Australian parliament – while trying to be helpful – told the MoS: ‘I expect you want to ask them [the Irish delegation] directly.’ She offered to get somebody to call this newspaper back – however, no phone call was subsequent­ly made.

Back in Dublin, we asked the Oireachtas if any officials were travelling with the five members. This was also a matter that could only be answered by FoI, we were told.

John Devitt, head of Transparen­cy Ireland, told the MoS that while politician­s should not be begrudged their foreign travel, details of their trips should be freely available and transparen­t. ‘While you would have no reason to believe that the trip is not anything but worthwhile, it does appear odd not to be forthcomin­g about the details of the trip and the overall budget cost. The State should be publishing these details in a proactive way.

‘It is a waste of time and money to have the public and journalist­s chase this informatio­n which should be freely available,’ Mr Devitt said.

The trip is a bilateral visit, following the arrival of an Australian delegation for two days this June, led by Scott Ryan, president of the Australian Senate – and including right-wing senator Pauline Hanson.

Under such a visit, the Irish taxpayer pays for a large part of the Australian visit, and the Australian­s, in turn, pay for the Irish delegation, but ultimately taxpayers foots the bill.

The cost to Ireland of the small party of six Australian parliament­arians and three officials, over two

A bilateral scheme that will cost taxpayers about €40k

He said he only had a hard copy of his plans

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