Govt reveals St Patrick’s Day trip list
The government has announced details of the largest St Patrick’s Day travel programme since it came to office.
28 of Ireland’s 30 ministers will be travelling abroad, with many leading trade missions to encourage foreign investment in Ireland.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will lead the programme, travelling to New York, Boston and Washington DC while Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin heads for China.
The programme marks the first time that ministers will have travelled to Vietnam or Mexico, and the first time in four years that one will go to Russia.
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Junior Finance Minister Brian Hayes are the only members of Government not travelling abroad this St. Patrick’s day.
Who is going where:
Taoiseach Enda Kenny – New York, Boston and Washington DC
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore – France
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan – Canada
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin – China
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton – Italy
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton – New York
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan – San Francisco
Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte – London and Birmingham
Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan – United Arab Emirates
Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence Alan Shatter – Mexico
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food Simon Coveney – New Zealand and Eastern Australia
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald – Japan and Korea
Minister for Health James Reilly – Boston and Cleveland
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar – Atlanta and Savannah
Attorney General Máire Whelan SC – Washington DC
Minister of State at the Department of The Taoiseach & Defence Paul Kehoe – Lebanon
Minister of State, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government Jan O’Sullivan – Scotland
Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Dinny McGinley – Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
Minister of State for Small Business John Perry – Spain
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring – Netherlands
Minister of State, Department of Health and Department of Justice, Equality & Defence Kathleen Lynch – Vietnam
Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources and Environment, Community & Local Government Fergus O’Dowd – Germany
Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills Sean Sherlock – Chicago and Kansas City
Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon – Romania
Minister of State Alan Kelly – Western Australia
Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport Alex White – Russia
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine Tom Hayes – Norway
Minister of State for European Affairs Paschal Donohoe – Belgium and Luxembourg