Public indignation over the $38,000 bill to send three Bermuda Government officials to last month’s Olympic Games was “well-founded”, Michael Dunkley has conceded.

However, the Premier defended the One Bermuda Alliance’s overall travel budget and highlighted its efforts to improve transparency on spending.

Last week, the OBA expenses website revealed that sports minister Sylvan Richards spent $31,566 of taxpayers’ money visiting Rio de Janeiro with his permanent secretary Wayne Carey for the Olympics.

The high cost of the trip prompted anger, especially the two business-class flights purchased at $10,145 each.

On Saturday, The Royal Gazette then revealed that former sports minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin had also attended the Olympics — spending $6,312.09 of taxpayers’ money, which was not listed on the OBA expenses website.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin, now Minister of Home Affairs after an OBA reshuffle in May, said that she had booked both her flights and hotel while she was still in her previous post, and that both were non-refundable. Yesterday, Mr Dunkley said that Government had heard and understood people’s concerns on the matter.

“In this instance, we got caught between the cost of a relatively late booking due to ministerial changes, an extremely expensive destination due to the Olympics and our duty to support Bermudians competing in the world’s biggest sporting event,” he said.

“The concerns expressed are well-founded. There was clearly room for more oversight and cost efficiency, and this will be discussed at the Cabinet table and with the civil service executive.”

But the Premier pointed out that the Government had made “big strides in progressing freedom of information, transparency, accountability and responsible spending” since the OBA came to power in 2012.

“The travel budget for all ministries this year is $3.1 million — less than half what it was in 2009-10 ($6.7 million),” he added.

Nonetheless, he admitted that the furore which stemmed from the Rio revelations had challenged the Government to be more vigilant in its use of the public purse.

“Have we learnt from this episode? You bet, no question,” the Premier said.