Catherine Eddery wrote to Frank Murray to express her concerns about spending on wine, gifts and dining beyond the Department’s annual allocation. “This section was not aware of the visit when the 1991 estimates were being prepared,” it said. A dinner in The Berkeley Court Hotel later that day cost £3,946.59, including 27 dinners for ministers and 17 dinners for officials as well as £158.36 on liqueurs. A state banquet held in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham for the culture ministers and their officials on March 16, the following day, cost £2,241.99. The following day, a Government luncheon held in the Department of Foreign Affairs headquarters, Iveagh House, incurred a separate cost of £3,349.95.

Source: The Herald December 28, 2023 00:09 UTC