Taoiseach and eight ministers to celebrate March 17 abroad

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny and eight of his ministers will travel abroad to represent Ireland on St Patrick’s Day.

The list of destinations is shorter than usual, with just nine visits planned to eight countries.

This compares with the 24 countries visited last year under the previous administration.

The Government said it had decided on “fewer, shorter and more focused trips” for this year.

In keeping with norms, Mr Kenny will travel to Washington to meet with US President Barack Obama in the White House.

Mr Kenny will spend two days in Washington, and as well as meeting Mr Obama, his itinerary will include engagements with Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner. It will also include “a range of engagements in support of Irish trade, tourism, culture, business and investment”, the Government said.

Senior politicians from the North also traditionally travel to Washington around St Patrick’s Day, and Mr Kenny is expected to hold there his first meeting as Taoiseach with Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Tánaiste and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore, meanwhile, will go to New York.

Both Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton will go to London at different stages next week.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney will go to Paris.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn will visit both Rome and Milan.

Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton will go to Germany.

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald will go to Australia and New Zealand.

Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar will go to India.

Mr Kenny said the trips would be used effectively with trade opportunities the main focus.

“We will use the unique global platform that is St Patrick’s Day to give a clear message to the world that Ireland is open for business, that we have a bright future and that a historic process of political and economic renewal has begun,” he said.

“We will do this effectively, but in a way that ensures value for money. Travel will be restricted to a smaller number of destinations that are top priorities for Irish trade, business and jobs. Programmes will be shorter and more focused than in previous years.”

Notable exclusions from the itinerary include China, Japan and the Middle East.