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THE TAOISEACH WILL visit the US President Donald Trump in Washington this St Patrick’s Day.
Today, Cabinet approved that ministers and ministers of State will visit every EU capital.
Ministers will visit all 27 EU capitals – including London. There are more senior Cabinet ministers visiting European cities than ever before on St Patrick’s Day.
However, a government spokesperson said this evening that in light of Brexit the duration of the trips are expected to be “shorter than usual”.
The UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March.
The Oireachtas may have to pass emergency Brexit legislation in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The spokesperson said that it is more important than ever for the ministerial delegations to go ahead, in light of Brexit, stating that at a time like this an Irish presence is needed around the world.
Where are they off to?
Tánaiste and Minister Simon Coveney is to lead a delegation to Paris, Berlin, The Hague, Brussels for St Patrick’s Day.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is travelling to London this year, while Minister for Communications Richard Bruton is heading to Canada.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan is off to New York, while Health Minister Simon Harris will be heading to the Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed will visit Madrid and Lisbon.
Ministers Heather Humphreys will travel to Australia and New Zealand.
Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone will travel to South Africa, while Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty will travel to Rome and Malta.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is heading to Argentina and Chile. and Culture Minister Josepha Madigan is going to Japan and South Korea.
Minister of State for Public Procurement, Open Government and eGovernment, Patrick O’Donovan is paying a visit to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, while Junior Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Jim Daly is going to India.
Junior Housing Minister Damian English is going to Australia and Timor Leste, while Junior Minister for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath is off to Mexico and Cuba.
Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay will get a visit from Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen. The Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann, Seán Ó Fearghaíl is off to Brazil this year.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, who has stayed home the last number of years, is off to the United Arab Emirates this year.
Education Minister Joe McHugh is going to Finland and China, while Minister of State for Financial Services and Insurance, Michael D’Arcy is going to Germany and the Netherlands.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring is heading to Chicago, while the Attorney General, Seamus Woulfe SC is also off to the US, taking in Washington DC.
Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Seán Kyne is off to Boston and Pennsylvania, while Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor is going to Austin, Denver and Kansas.
Savannah, Atlanta will get a visit from Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton, while Vancouver, Calgary and Seattle will be paid a visit from Minister of State for the Diaspora and Development, Ciaran Cannon.
Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan is going to France and Luxembourg, while Minister of State for Local Government and Electoral Reform, John Paul Phelan is going to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Minister of State for Health Promotion and the National Drugs Strategy, Catherine Byrne is heading to Slovakia, Austria and Hungary while Junior Agriculture Minister Andrew Doyle is going to Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia.
Minister of State for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin Boxer Moran is going to Poland and Czech Republic while Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development, Sean Canney is going to Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
Junior Sports and Tourism Brendan Griffin is going to Scotland.
Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Senator Denis O’Donovan is heading off to Russia for the celebrations.
Last year there was an increase in travel due to the government’s strategy to highlight its preparedness for Brexit. This year, the visits will no doubt be used to bolster political support in light of the withdrawal agreement not being agreed.
Announcing the St Patrick’s Day programme for 2019, Coveney said:
St. Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity to promote Ireland around the world, to celebrate our heritage and renew our bonds with the global Irish family.
The Taoiseach, Ministers, Ceann Comhairle, Cathaoirleach and I will undertake an ambitious programme of visits across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific region over the St Patrick’s Day period, to promote Ireland as a great place to live, visit, study, work and do business.This year’s St Patrick’s Day programme will serve as a platform to underline Ireland’s commitment to and membership of the European Union. Ministers will visit all 27 European capitals over the St Patrick’s Day period.
He said the 2019 programme also reflects Ireland’s expanding diplomatic and state agency presence around the world, as part of the Global Ireland initiative.
Ministers will visit Wellington and Vancouver, where Ireland opened new diplomatic missions in 2018. Bogota, Santiago, Mumbai, and Los Angeles will also receive a Ministerial visit over St Patrick’s Day, in advance of the opening of new Irish Embassies and Consulates there later this year.
The greening of many iconic landmarks around the world in celebration of St Patrick’s Day will also take place, as part of Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening initiative, which celebrates its tenth year in 2019.
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Sure nothing much important to do – Holiday for the lads! Don’t forget the travel scrabble and to turn the lights off in the Leinster house bar.
@ThatLJD: very cynical of you,, sure those trips are all about getting trade agreements,, we have been told that multiple times,, it’s non stop work for the boys who were “unlucky enough” to be picked to go abroad….
@Devilsavocado: first and only time I agree with you Avocado man
@Toby Fish: ooohhh Toby, Toby, Toby, I’ll get you around to my way of thinking,, we will be thunder buddies for life, don’t fight it….:)
@ThatLJD: Have it packed! The bar will be opened for the others working there while we travel to other places to work hard and party even harder! Your correct again that there is nothing important to do..I’m extremely efficient!
@ThatLJD: can,t blame them for getting out of the country and away from what is regarded as a cringe fest of paddywhackery back home…lucky sods
@ThatLJD: Is Harris not staying at home this year to fix the Health Service like he did last year? Like that really worked, didn’t it..!!!
@Devilsavocado: No
@Devilsavocado: bollix
@ThatLJD: I think your comment is incredibly short sighted and negative. No one is perfect but staying at home achieves nothing. I trust that the majority of Td’s are not swindlers and will get out there trying to attract business into the country. This I hope might give you a better standard of living in the future.
Nothing gets in the way of an all expenses paid jolly. Not even Brexit.
@Milk The Drones: let’s see how much they claim in expenses for this trip
@Scorpionvenomm:
Eoghan Murphys will be interesting.
Speedos
Sunglasses
Factor 20
Hipster beard conditioner
I love Bueno Aires fridge magnet (gift for Mumsie and Dudsie)
@Milk The Drones: it really is a joke, brexit starting to fall apart for the gov, they’d be wise to stay at home this year. I wonder what would it take for them to cancel their junkets if brexit isn’t important enough.
Only back from Christmas break and planning the next trip. It’s a good life
@Toby Fish: They are literally work dodgers. It’s unreal. I can’t wait come voting time. Not one of this idiots around my way be getting it. I am gonna spoil the vote. At least I will sleep knowning I voted for none of this codlogy.
@Toby Fish: those white collar criminals are more interested in the gravy train to increase there bank accounts than looking after the homeless crisis, the health service and the people in emergency accommodation along with our elderly. People paying private landlords that were taking off the housing lists over 1,000 euros a month for rented accommodation while we give housing to migrant families and give them an open cheque book for cars and household goods
Can we send twice as many, but just buy them one way tickets?
What about the Carbon footprint that thay are all talking about…
The Spin doctors world tour !
Only back from their holidays and they off again in a few weeks for the paddy’s day junket,sure then after that the summer holidays will be up for them to take,what a joke
If it is a celebration of being Irish, why are they all leaving the country? I don’t see the French President leaving France on Bastile Day or the US President on the 4th of July.
Do you really think that the American’s want to see Leo or the British want to see Pascal D.?
@George Vladisavljevic: You have never been abroad to see the Irish celebrate St Patrick’s day? No country can compare to what this little Island can celebrate worldwide. Greatest marketing tool ever, name a country who has a day celebrated so widely, and even by people not from it???
@GerryCummins: I am actualy from Canada and agree with you about the celebration’s and the parades. I have seen them there and in the US. I am just saying that I am sure that the fun could be had without these people travelling to the far corners of the world at the tax payers expense. Would they go if they had to dip their hands into their pockets? Highly doubtful.
We spend millions in attracting visitors here to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day but our leaders are nowhere to be found to celebrate with the people that they represent.
@George Vladisavljevic: George, do you really think the Irish people would care to see a politician on St Patrick’s day?. The fact is they don’t go abroad alone, hundreds of business deals are signed on these trips (and on all official Ministerial & Presidential trips), they reap far more than they cost…I have recieved the incoming and been on those incoming trips, make you proud how far above our weight our small island punches. But the begrudgers think they could run Ireland from their keyboards….. as for any internal issues Ireland has, they are the same if not less than most countries….and have always existed….
@GerryCummins: I actually see the value of Ireland been highlighted abroad on St Patrick’s Day especially taking POTENTIAL serious effects of Brexit into account,it makes sense to utilize the unique opportunity St Patrick Day allows!
However it should be of TOP priority to Government to EFFECTIVELY and URGENTLY deal with the National emergencies we have in Ireland NOW in homelessness,housing and health, especially taking nto account population is estimated to grow over 1.8m+ over next 33 years.!With any new businesses developed or increased in Ireland,their workers will need affordable accommodation/adequate housing stock.The negative effects of Brexit not helped by failing to stop these crisis developing into National emergencies.
What is effectively our national day and the entirety of the government leaves the country. Says a lot really.
@Alternative for Ireland: They’ve been doing it since Dev was in nappies
Ah come on, St Patrick always ran the snakes out of Ireland !!!!!!!!!
No problems with carbon footprints or climate change when their is an all expenses paid junket on offer.
It is time to reform the Oireachtas.
Begin with the Dáil by addressing the democratic deficit of the ‘whip’ system. The role is used to bully public representatives into conforming to the diktat of their party ‘leader’ rather than to the views of the people who elected them.
Upon election, the electorate becomes irrelevant and TDs become pawns of political parties. Muzzled and disallowed from expressing the views of the electorate, they sit (maybe) in the back seats of the Dáil awaiting the instruction of the party leader, and under threat of the party whip, as to how they should vote on any issue. If they are appointed a minister, they are under constant threat of replacement.
Bullying in the workplace is illegal — so why is it allowed in the Dáil.
@Bernard Kavanagh: But they only make the law, they don’t have to keep it
I hope they all only bring back the allocated personal amount of duty free.
Imagine the shame if they had to set up another meaningless tribunal to sort that out.
I’m sure there are many countries looking to attract FDI, tourism etc that would give their back teeth for the access to so many governments & businesses that St.Patricks day affords our country. You mightn’t like the politicians going but don’t overlook the huge benefits of these trips.
@Clifford Brennan: don’t be talking sense, it doesn’t go down well here. Nothing about the large delegations of Irish business people that travel and sign bilateral agreements on foot of these trips…..but facts don’t suit some….
@Clifford Brennan: ah the old “look at the access they get” shite…
You do realise that Enterprise Ireland have been working very hard to get contracts and then the ffg halfwits and their eauntarage turn up looking like there is a village somewhere missing them.
These people are workshy parasites that only have one skill, to embarrass a nation.
They can bring FF with them
And then they shite on about climate action and them flying all around the place.
@niall: should they swim, take a long boat?
@GerryCummins: They can Skype away from the Dáil bar
@Sean O’ Donovan: and the massive trade delegations that work annually to close deals during these visits??
@GerryCummins: They can “buy” them a pint too.
They have this done,but not the legislation for a no deal Brexit,aren’t they great.
Don’t forget the “special bonus expense system” lads!
First, Business or Coach – or do we only find out when they post a selfie on Twitter?
Let the annual (and pointless) of teeth and faux outrage begin.
@MK76: faux off muppet.
Why didn’t you just write who is staying at home.
Lord Ross got a nice one. …is the toxicomoter thing a ma jig done away with?
With brexit a week after they should be going nowhere
@Thomas Linehan: Looks like Helen McEntee has drawn the short one and will take on Brexit all on her lonesome. Is she out of a job on March 30th?
No mention of poor Paul Kehoe. He will be sulking in the corner.
Oh, wait, he’s just back from his junket to Mali
It’s called a holiday at the expense of the tax payers and they must be laughing at us…
Any idea the cost to the tax payer
So no one is coming to see me.
Varadkar heading to meet the Potus fair enough, but the other senior members should be here and send representatives on their behalf instead incase anything Brexit related requires urgent attention, wouldn’t put it past the Brexit brigade to use the timing as effectively as they can
I’m still dealing with Christmas…..
My tax money well spent.
Fianna Fáil got, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Iran, Venezuela and Michigan, Mars was cancelled.
St Patrick’s day is the day that Ireland gets rid of its useless bastwards .
Bit of luck they stay away because they are as useful as tit’s on a bull here.
This has to stop ,
Already?????
Is it not October? Where has the time gone????
Our goverment should support TRANSGENDER PEOPLE and bycott the US PADDYSDAY PARADE
@Marianne: Half way there with Leo W@nker.
Send Shane Ross to North Korea and leave him there
P***K All TD go Overseas/hotel for st Patrick day. Expenses by your taxpayers
I wonder will they be able to take a leaf from Tom Nevilles book and claim the extra monies available to them, without any kind of receipt.
Terrible nonsense… I mean the comments ! Any eejit can see why it’s a have to do thing. Betcha most of them would rather not be going .. lot of people still think work is something that produces results there and then… promoting the country doesn’t deliver instant results .. but it has to be done.
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