THE US ambassador to Ireland, Ms Jean Kennedy Smith, said yesterday she would be "happy to pay" any expenses for her official residence in Dublin which had not been approved by the State Department.
Her comments followed reports in the Boston Herald that she had spent over $100,000 (about £60,000) of public funds on redecorating her official residence in the Phoenix Park, allegedly in some cases without official sanction, between 1993 and 1995.
The newspaper claimed it had obtained memos and e-mail messages about the spending, including some showing that the State Department refused to pay for certain redecorating plans and suggested Ms Kennedy Smith pay for them herself.
"These notes are meant to be a heads up in case Amb. instructs the decorator to proceed. If so it's another unauthorised commitment if Amb. is expecting (US government) to pay", ran the text of one 1995 e-mail message, allegedly from a member of the embassy staff.
The US embassy limited its statement on the matter to Ms Kennedy Smith's comments and neither confirmed nor denied the veracity of the message quoted.
"It has always been my understanding that all official expenses for the US ambassador's residence in Dublin have been approved by the State Department", Ms Kennedy Smith said. "I have asked the department to review these expenses. If any were not approved or have not been approved, I'll be happy to pay them.
The State Department declined to comment. A spokesman said he understood the ambassador was making a personal response to the report.
It is believed there have been other newspaper reports on this subject. These reports are said not to have taken sufficient account of the fact that the residence is a large, old house which requires considerable attention.
Ms Kennedy Smith, the sister of Senator Edward Kennedy and assassinated President John F. Kennedy, was appointed ambassador to Ireland by President Clinton in March 1993.