Obama and Queen to cost us 25 million euro

jimmynokia

Just read an article in the sunday world that the cost of security
for the queen is 10 million
for Obama its 15 million


So is this too much when the government are trying to cut costs.
is this to much money to spend to babysit.

johngalway

Small money to foster good relations with large(r) nations.

jimmynokia

so what do we get out of it ANOTHER BILL?for us to pay.

Brenireland

johngalway wrote: »

Small money to foster good relations with large(r) nations.

+1 I agree 100%

daddydick

As mentioned above, small money within the bigger picture of fostering good relationships with these economic heavyweights. I'd be happy to pay €100m for their visits recession or no recession.

Plus please remember that a large amount of this money is going to Irish people between Garda overtime, catering companies etc so it's not as if we need to write a check of €10m to the Queen and €15m to Obama etc..a lot of this €25m is being circulated back into the economy.

syklops

It was The Sunday World, so obviously they gave a breakdown of their figures and and detailed their sources?

If it is true, then as John Galway said, its small potatoes.

Trooperboyo

I don't how much money was spent on this, but hasn't our head of state been given the same requirements such as security ect. We should reciprocate this when heads of state come to visit us.

daddydick

jimmynokia wrote: »

so what do we get out of it ANOTHER BILL?for us to pay.

You need to look at the bigger picture Jimmy, we can't have these people here without paying for security etc....this is a huge opportunity for the new Government to send out a signal that Ireland is recovering...there is always going to be costs to host an event as large as these visits its as simple as that.

robinph

Can't really see how any of that spend for the visits would be leaving the Irish economy. I don't think the Queen or Obama charge appearance fees, and Ireland isn't going to be paying the wages of any of their own security people that they bring over with them.

mike65

Trooperboyo wrote: »

I don't how much money was spent on this, but hasn't our head of state been given the same requirements such as security ect. We should reciprocate this when heads of state come to visit us.

Every year the American tax payer shells out millions to protect the Tee-shock on March 17th. So 15 million is only fair dues (Isn't it typical that some elected official from a Republic costs more than her Madge? )

Nodin

Bush was only 4 million, and far more people wanted to kill him than Liz and Obama combined.....

amacachi

robinph wrote: »

Can't really see how any of that spend for the visits would be leaving the Irish economy. I don't think the Queen or Obama charge appearance fees, and Ireland isn't going to be paying the wages of any of their own security people that they bring over with them.

Will the miniature American flags and Union Jacks be produced here? :pac:

jimmynokia

johngalway wrote: »

Small money to foster good relations with large(r) nations.

So if they visit more often then its good news?:)

jimmynokia

amacachi wrote: »

Will the miniature American flags and Union Jacks be produced here? :pac:

maybe we should start making them now and cash in LOL

Cakes.

Nodin wrote: »

Bush was only 4 million, and far more people wanted to kill him than Liz and Obama combined.....

I'm sure some Irish people would kill Liz before Bush.

mike65

amacachi wrote: »

Will the miniature American flags and Union Jacks be produced here? :pac:

I suspect these girls have that contract

Kristopherus

T'would be very nice if UK knocked that €10m off the interest for the loan they're giving us:)

robinph

amacachi wrote: »

Will the miniature American flags and Union Jacks be produced here? :pac:

Well they certainly ain't going to be made in the US or UK. Time to get into the flag importing business I think.

The Waltzing Consumer

Can the OP tell us what the breakdown of those figures would be? The attached image is awful quality so can't read any of it.

Agree with another poster that is sounds way too high after thinking about the George Bush visit and the 4million bill for that.

ilovesleep

I hope they will step up, address the nation and offer us words of comfort. God knows we need it. We need some postivitity. President Obama will be fantastic. Money well spent. Looking forward to Obamas visit.

ejmaztec

It was mentioned in some programme about Queen Elisabeth 1st that, if she took a particular dislike to one of her land-owning noblemen, she would arrange to get invited to his castle, knowing full well that he couldn't refuse, and also knowing that the cost of her visit would bankrupt him.

I don't suppose history might be repeating itself, only on a much larger scale?

Saruman

johngalway wrote: »

Small money to foster good relations with large(r) nations.

Indeed it is.

When they are here, the whole world media will be focused on Ireland.

Black Swan

amacachi wrote: »

Will the miniature American flags and Union Jacks be produced here? :pac:

I cannot speak for the Union Jacks, but the American flags will probably be manufactured in China. You may laugh at this, but I was speaking to a US Marine on leave the other day in a coffeehouse, and he showed me his baseball cap with "US Marines" inscribed on the outside. But when I looked at the label on the inside it stated "Made in China."

mike65

ejmaztec wrote: »

It was mentioned in some programme about Queen Elisabeth 1st that, if she took a particular dislike to one of her land-owning noblemen, she would arrange to get invited to his castle, knowing full well that he couldn't refuse, and also knowing that the cost of her visit would bankrupt him.

I don't suppose history might be repeating itself, only on a much larger scale?

Too late for that, the Irish land owning classes spent years inviting each other to look at one anothers castles and have bankrupted the country doing so.

jimmynokia

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

Can the OP tell us what the breakdown of those figures would be? The attached image is awful quality so can't read any of it.

Agree with another poster that is sounds way too high after thinking about the George Bush visit and the 4million bill for that.

there is no break down it does say his limo is 250,000 quid

The Waltzing Consumer

jimmynokia wrote: »

there is no break down it does say his limo is 250,000 quid

Oh, well that makes it look a lot less credible. Sounds like the Sunday World are picking figures out of the sky :P

ejmaztec

Black Swan wrote: »

I cannot speak for the Union Jacks, but the American flags will probably be manufactured in China. You may laugh at this, but I was speaking to a US Marine on leave the other day in a coffeehouse, and he showed me his baseball cap with "US Marines" inscribed on the outside. But when I looked at the label on the inside it stated "Made in China."

It's probably best to miss out the middleman and get a stock of Chinese flags in.

When Clinton visited, I lived along the route to Ballybunion, and we were told to stay put in our houses for a few hours, so there were no American flags waving where we were.

As for Union-Jacks, someone complained to the local Tralee rag for historical reasons because the Kerry-Group insisted on flying it when UK visitors were in their Listowel factory. Of course they weren't bothered when various other flags were flying for other visitors.

jimmycrackcorm

Sinn Fein should be sent the bill for guarding Lizzie

robinph

jimmynokia wrote: »

there is no break down it does say his limo is 250,000 quid

Does Ireland have to buy him a new car or something?

He brings his own car with him, although it may be that it will cost €250,000 to fill the tank.

R P McMurphy

jimmycrackcorm, no offense but I hate seeing you post because that song comes into my head and stays there rattling around for a bit

maynooth_rules

Cakesofrice wrote: »

I'm sure some Irish people would kill Liz before Bush.

Indeed, the irish people that I am ashamed to share a nationality with

Sleepy

I'm assuming that €25 million is net of the money that will be spent here by their entourages and increase in tourists from their respective homelands during their visits?

Just think how many Irish-American Democrats will travel over to see Obama give a speech in "the old country". These won't be the sort of tourists staying in hostels and sharing a Guinness with straws either...

Then factor in the equivalent cost of the media time this will generate for Ireland were Bord Failte and the IDA to buy the same level of advertising?

25 million is the cost of hosting them. Something tells me that the incomes generated both directly and indirectly from these visits will be far in excess of 25 million.

(besides, if we've tackled public sector pay by the time they visit, I'm sure we could shave at least 1 or 2 million off the cost by not paying overtime/allowances for the security personel).

Biggins

I see its been announced Jessie Jackson is coming too.
It funny that they all kept away while a certain shower was in government! Now that they are gone - in comes this lot in bulk!

One has to draw one own conclusions about that!

OhNoYouDidn't

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Sinn Fein should be sent the bill for guarding Lizzie

despite the fact they have come out against the protest?

I still don't buy the investment / tourism angle, specifically the investment.

Are people seriously suggesting that facory locations are based on where Mrs Windsor goes for an overnight jolly? Holidays, maybe, but 'we were going to Poland, but Farmleigh looks nice, lets move our business there'. Not buying it.

Killer Pigeon

Well I'd rather pay that then organising complicated aranged marriages between state sovereigns that would probably cost the same amount of money anyway!