THE Government spent over €500,000 going to the Ploughing Championships — with NINE ministers, 50 agencies and 370 civil servants joining the Taoiseach over the four days.

Rural Minister Michael Ring — who says he shared costs with Culture Minister Josepha Madigan — was king of the big spenders when it came to last month’s event in Co Offaly.

Questions from Fianna Fail TD Charlie McConalogue reveal that to date the bill has come to €505,911 for the St Patrick’s Day-style homage to rural Ireland.

Between them Ring and Madigan’s departments spent €163,324.

This included a marquee for €122,846 ex VAT, site costs of €12,927, broadband costs of €3,000 for four days, catering costs of €2,575, staff and voluntary passes, €2,880 and bus transport costs of €1,950.

Mr Ring, who famously noted he loved to spend money on receiving his ministry, said the “National Ploughing Championship in line with the event in 2017, saw the Department of Rural and Community Development share space with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht”.

Mr Ring added: “The cost of the joint presence is being shared between DRCD and DCHG’’ — but no breakdown appears in the figures.

The Minister also drafted in a further hundred volunteers from agencies and bodies connected to his Ministry to the event which was disrupted on the Wednesday by Storm Ali.

A spokesperson for the Minister, commenting on the cost they noted: “It reflects the Department’s commitment to the rural community. It showcased the wide variety of supports provided to rural communities.”

Madigan did not provide a response. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar hosted a more modest event using “a core team of six staff . . . with other staff drafted in as required’’.

Outside of Mr Ring the biggest spender was Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, whose total costs amounted to approximately €128,861 excluding VAT.

Transport and Tourism Minister Shane Ross did not attend.

Paschal Donohoe sent a single civil servant to the show at a cost of €197 for the taxpayer.

FF Agriculture spokesman Mr McConalogue said: “There certainly appears to be a touch of the Marie Antoinette’s surrounding some of the expenditure; particularly on the marquees. You could buy a small house in parts of rural Ireland for those costs.’’