FLIGHT INTO EGYPT: RYAN’S 55-MEMBER DELEGATION TO COP27 REMAINS SECRET
GREEN Party leader Eamon Ryan has provided regular updates about the key role he is playing as one of the EU’s chief negotiators at the UN Climate Summit in Egypt.
But back home in Dublin, officials in his department are less than forthcoming about how much their boss’s jaunt to the exclusive Sharm El-Sheikh resort along with 55 other delegates will cost the taxpayer.
When the Irish Mail on Sunday first asked Minister Ryan’s Department of Environment, Climate and Communications three weeks ago how much it would cost to fly the minister and his delegation to the summit, a spokesman for the minister insisted arrangements were still being finalised, even though world leaders were already gathering in Egypt for the international conference.
Mr Ryan was due to make the 5,896.7km journey a little over a week later, but nevertheless his spokesman was not in a position at that late stage to reveal who would accompany the Green Party leader.
Most airlines charge customers substantially
more if they delay booking tickets until the last minute.
As a result, canny travellers usually book well in advance. A week later, the MoS again asked Mr Ryan’s department for details about airfare charges, accommodation costs and the size of the delegation travelling with the Green Party leader.
Mr Ryan’s spokesman insisted that costings could not be given until after Cop27 concluded and refused to respond to queries about how many department officials and advisers were travelling to the summit or how many of the delegation’s travel plans were finalised at the last minute.
However the spokesman confirmed that the minister was travelling with a 55-member delegation and that the Green Party leader and his ‘delegation’ were travelling economy class.
This weekend a spokesman confirmed that up to 11 representatives from his department, including two ministerial advisers, accompanied Mr Ryan to Egypt.
The department previously said ‘overflow badges’ were granted to 33 representatives ‘from a broad range of civil society organisations including youth representatives, academic and industry groups’ but did not provide further details.
It is not clear who the other 11 members of Mr Ryan’s delegation are, although it is understood some diplomatic staff from the Irish embassy in Egypt attended the summit.
Mr Ryan’s department was still unable to provide cost details for the trip as the summit drew to a close this weekend.
A spokesman said these costings could not be revealed until after the conference officially closes.
Officials also refused to divulge whether any refunds had been claimed for cancelled flights and hotel rooms.
‘Overflow badges’ were provided to 33’