FROM THE ARCHIVES:Fine Gael TD Oliver J Flanagan was in full flight in the Dáil over the costs of a visit to the US in 1959 by president Seán T O'Kelly and minister for external affairs Frank Aiken, and their wives' suitcases. –
JOE JOYCE
Dr. [JAMES] Ryan said the party comprised the President and his wife, the Minister for External Affairs and his wife, and two A.D.C.s to the President. Full accounts of the expenses to be borne by Irish public funds had not yet been received. From the information at present available, it was estimated that these expenses, including cost of travel, would amount to about £11,000.
Mr. Flanagan – Might I ask the Minister if it would be correct to assume that the total cost to the Irish taxpayer of this trip will be in the region of £20,000 to £25,000 when all the receipts come in?
Dr. Ryan – No.
Mr. Flanagan – And if the Minister considers that, in view of the unemployment and emigration in this country, this is a correct way to spend taxpayers’ money?
Dr. Ryan replied that, so far as he knew, the expenses would not exceed £11,000.
Mr. Flanagan – Can the Minister not make out what amount of that £11,000 was spent on the wives of the gentlemen concerned?
Dr. Ryan said that he would give the deputy all the information he could when he could get it, so that “he can report back to his chiefs”.
Mr. Flanagan – Is it not a fact that some thousands of pounds were spent on those two women at the expense of the poor, starving people in this country?
In another question, Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister how many suit-cases were purchased at State expense in connection with the President’s trip to America, and if he would state the cost of each case. He also asked if presents were purchased, at what cost, and to whom they were given, and the nature and cost of each present.
Dr. Ryan said that four light-weight trunks were purchased by the Department of External Affairs for the economical transport of material for the press required in connection with the President’s visit to the United States. This expenditure would be accounted for by that department. As regards the second part of the deputy’s question, the matter was one at the discretion of the President.
Mr. Flanagan – Does the Minister not consider that the least these people would be expected to do would be to purchase their own suit-cases and trunks, without bleeding the taxpayers to the last drop of blood. I object again to Irish taxpayers’ money being spent to provide Mrs. Aiken and Mrs. O’Kelly with suit-cases. I think it is a disgrace. Surely some deputy should raise his voice against Mrs. O’Kelly being supplied with an expensive suit-case and half the country dying with hunger? I object to it.
The Speaker called for order.
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