Email Taoiseach Charles Haughey’s visit to meet French government officials in October 1989 involved a Paris hotel suite that cost five times the accommodation of other members of the Irish Government party. Confidential documents released as part of the 1989 State Archive revealed that Mr Haughey stayed at a suite in the plush Hotel Le Meurice on Rue de Rivoli.
His suite cost was 12,441 French francs — almost five times the 2,574 franc cost of the cheapest accommodation used at the Paris hotel by another member of the Irish party.
Mr Haughey’s suite cost was three times that of the next most expensive accommodation used by a member of the Irish party.
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The Hotel Le Meurice — which had a long-standing relationship with the Irish Embassy in Paris — provided a suite for visiting Irish VIPs that overlooked the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre.
Accompanying Mr Haughey on the Paris trip were a number of civil servants, a Garda bodyguard as well as junior minister Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and her husband.
Also with the Haughey party in Paris was Dermot Desmond and his wife as well as Mr Haughey’s daughter, Eimear Mulhern, and her husband.
The Desmonds travelled to and from Paris independently — and paid their own accommodation costs in France.
A Department of Taoiseach briefing note on the visit from October 7-8 outlined that the Taoiseach and a small party would fly to Paris by government jet on October 7.
«The Desmonds will attend all functions on Saturday with the exception of the briefing session, officials talks and lunch at the Matignon and the Aga Khan dinner,» it said.
«Ms Haughey and the Mulherns will attend all functions on Saturday with the exception of the briefing, talks and Matignon lunch.
«The Taoiseach, Ms Haughey and Mr Mulhern and private secretary will return to Dublin after the races by Government jet.»
Ms Mulhern flew back to Ireland via Charles de Gaulle Airport early on October 8.
The Hotel Le Meurice became Mr Haughey’s favourite in Paris and he used it for almost 20 years.
Mr Haughey, a long-standing admirer of president Francois Mitterrand, last stayed at the Hotel Le Meurice in January 1996 when he travelled to Paris to attend the veteran Socialist Party leader’s funeral.
When President Mitterrand visited Ireland that year, Taoiseach Charles Haughey’s assistant departmental secretary Frank Murray was personally briefed on the catering arrangements.
A memo dated October 18 revealed the wines for the working lunch were chosen to reflect Franco-Irish connections.
Three wines and a Champagne were proposed including Riesling Grand Cru Kitterle 1985 at IR£13, Meursault-Charme 1978 at IR£25 and Chateau Langoa Barton 1981 at IR£20. The Champagne was Heidsieck Monopole.
«The Barton connection with Ireland is well known,» the memo added. «There is also a connection between the Schlumberger vineyards and the new French owners of Luttrellstown Castle.»
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