The Department of Foreign Affairs spent more than €216,000 on VIP services at Dublin Airport in less than two years.
New figures show that an average of €113,000 is being spent each year to allow foreign dignitaries and other important visitors to use executive lounges and whizz past normal security queues.
In the first six months of this year, nearly €56,000 was paid out with costs likely to rise further during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU.
Among the larger bills were €13,556 in charges for the visit of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in December of last year.
Another €12,332 was spent on Platinum Services for a visit by Lithuania’s president, while a single charge of €11,400 was logged for an official trip involving Germany’s foreign minister.
Other bills included €8,778 for a visit by the President of Egypt and €7,800 for the head of state of Fiji.
Spending was not confined to visiting politicians with around €5,100 in charges for Gaza medical evacuation flights.
There were also bills of €750 for an “archbishop visit” and €2,840 in charges for the Department of Justice and its work with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.
The Department released details of 85 separate transactions for Platinum Services at Dublin Airport between August 2024 and June 2026.
However, four bills relating to the Irish President were withheld because all spending linked to that office is exempt from release under FOI laws.
Services provided at Dublin Airport for VIPs can include private check-in and security, suites for relaxation, refreshments, as well as transport to and from a plane.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said they used Platinum Services to support State business including visits by foreign dignitaries.
The service was also used “to provide appropriate welcome and departure arrangements for senior members of the diplomatic corps.”
The spokesperson said the Department was given a preferential rate, and that use of Platinum Services was consistent with “international protocol standards.”
“The use of airport VIP facilities helps ensure the security and privacy of foreign dignitaries travelling to Ireland on official business, while also facilitating efficient transit through the airport and enabling visitors to make the most of their official programmes,” they added.
Reporting by Ken Foxe
