Up to 100 councillors are attending a conference in Berlin this week at council expense to discuss North/South relations between councillors in Ireland.
This is the sixth annual Confederation of European Councillors conference, which has taken place in Brussels, Gibraltar, Prague and Slovakia in past years.
Despite its name, its members are almost entirely from Ireland, North and South.
The estimated cost per councillor is €750 for the three-day trip. "The conference will give delegates an opportunity to enhance relations while debating and discussing issues and areas of mutual interest to local representatives across Europe," says the body's website.
Its chairman, former Fine Gael deputy John Connor, could not be contacted for comment yesterday. But the website quotes partnership manager John Devaney explaining why Berlin is "an ideal location" for the event.
"We have taken account of a number of issues in deciding the venue, not least the fact that Berlin is so easily and reasonably accessible from Belfast and Dublin, particularly with low cost airlines," he says.
"We have also considered the fact that Germany has and does play a key role at the heart of the EU and modern Europe, and having begun to add the East-West dimension to the work we are doing in Ireland, we would wish to reach outwards in developing relations with local government and councillors.
"One of the aims of the confederation is to develop links with and between local councillors and councillor groups across the continent."
Attending the 2½ day meeting - which ends today and includes one lunch and one dinner - costs €355 per delegate.
Hotel fees for the plush four-star Park Inn Berlin-Alexanderplatz in the the city centre where the conference is taking place are an additional €109 for a single or €135 for a double room. Flights and other travel to and from airports at either end and meals are also additional, leading to an estimated total of €750 per person.
Most councils will cover the cost of the Berlin trip with annual conference allocations when members submit their claims.
This year's agenda includes discussion on local government and modern Europe in the context of EU enlargement, with the afternoons given over to two separate "study tours" of Berlin. There are also embassy-hosted receptions.
The conference, which opened on Wednesday, will discuss the role and potential of the confederation within North-South and east-west relations; Berlin and Germany: the historical, political and comparative context; EU enlargement; local government in Europe and the subsidiarity principle; and developing councillor and council relations in Europe.
Afternoon "study tours will provide delegates with an insight into the political history of the city, with visits to and meetings at the Reichstag, Rotes Rathaus and Brandenburg Lande, as well as Checkpoint Charlie, the remains of the Berlin Wall and the Church of Reconciliation".
One of the largest delegations is from Kerry, where some 10 councillors - seven from Kerry County Council and three from Killarney Town Council - have been sent.