The international gathering of the cream of the world's youth held for three days behind firmly closed doors in a luxury Dublin hotel last month has left the taxpayer with a €300,000 security bill, it has emerged.
The US-based International Academy of Achievement, which brings the best and the brightest together with political luminaries such as former US President Mr Bill Clinton, was protected for three days by the heavily armed Garda Emergency Response Unit and dozens of Garda patrols and motorcycle units.
Founded in 1961, the academy, "which awards a Golden Plate annually to a top international achiever" is certainly not modest about its own ambitions, and bids "to inspire youth with new dreams of achievement in a world of boundless opportunity", even though it was remarkably shy during its time in Ireland.
During the visit, which was not open to the public or the media, 50 men and women of "exceptional accomplishment", such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, "shared their wisdom and experience" with 175 outstanding students from 40 countries.
The size of the security bill emerged in a written Dáil reply to the Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins, from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell. However, the Minister declined to reveal how many gardaí were involved.
The bill has left Mr Higgins fuming.
"This self-appointed group might be more aptly named 'Academy of the Egos', being composed as it is of former political leaders, such as Clinton or Gorbachev, who seem to think that should still strut the international stage at taxpayers' expense," he declared.
Bono, who is a past recipient of the academy's Golden Plate, was just one of the A-list of celebrities to attend.
Also at the event were former US Secretary of State, Mr Henry Kissinger, the first four-minute miler, Sir Roger Bannister, and rock-and-roll musician Chuck Berry.
During the three days, the "leaders of tomorrow" joined "distinguished artists, scientists, statesmen and leaders of industry in an extraordinary series of symposia and round-table discussions", the academy's own website declares.
In a reply last month to Mr Higgins, the Minister for Justice said he agreed with the refusal by the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, to reveal how many gardaí were involved in guarding the VIPs. The information about the cost of the event was revealed in a reply released this month.
Mr Higgins contrasted the Minister's silence about the academy with his information about Operation Hyphen, when Mr McDowell was "very forthcoming with information on the numbers of Garda deployed in rounding up unfortunates who have apparently fallen foul of residency laws in this State".
The action against immigrants was "a disgraceful waste of resources" which aimed to "instil fear into defenceless non-nationals", said Mr Higgins.
