Jet-setting DETI staff cost £2,513,000

With the same sum almost 3,000 return flights to Australia could be purchased a mere month in advance.

High-flying civil servants took over five thousand flights between 2007 and 2013.

In total 5,378 flights were taken at a cost of £2,513,000; 3,613 flights were taken by Invest NI officials at a cost of £1,924,000; and 1,774 flights were taken by DETI officials at a cost of £589,000.

Economy class was often not good enough for the civil servants, politicians and special advisors.

Four hundred and fifty one business class flights were booked by Invest NI at a cost of £1,133,000.

DETI booked 265 people into business class at a cost to the people of £321,000.

Investment Minister Arlene Foster revealed that of the DETI booked flights seventy-six of the business class trips were taken by politicians; a hundred and twenty seven by civil servants; and sixty-two by special advisors.