Country's leaders to take Paddy's Day worldwide

President Mary McAleese and 20 government ministers will help promote Ireland on five continents during St Patrick’s Day celebrations this year.

Mrs McAleese is going to Australia for a round of official engagements in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will be in Washington for ceremonies in the American capital ahead of March 17, and is expected to meet President George Bush to officially deliver a traditional bowl of shamrock, as well as address the World Bank.

Mr Ahern will be back in Dublin in time for St Patrick’s Day itself, watching the city’s annual parade through the streets.

But the Government will still be strongly represented on the other side of the Atlantic for the big day, with a total of eight ministers attending a series of events at locations throughout the United States.

And in an additional signal of an official Dublin bid to boost American tourist trade prospects, an Irish Naval Service ship, the Roisin, will be making visits to Savannah, Georgia, and Miami, Florida, during week-long events to commemorate St Patrick.

Other ministers will be in Britain, France, Norway, Cyprus, China, Korea, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and Brazil.

The major promotional concentrations, though, will be on Ireland’s top two trading partners, Britain and the United States.

Figures tonight reported that Irish exports to the United Kingdom for the 10 month period up to last October amounted to €17.8bn, a 4% increase on the previous year. Britain currently accounts for 23% of Ireland’s worldwide sales.

Exports to the US – which takes 18% of Irish sales abroad – last year came to €16.5bn, 5% up on the previous year.

But one of the the biggest increases in Irish exports was recorded in China, where sales went up by 62%, to €547m.

The Irish minister representing Ireland in China for St Patrick events, Justice Minister Michael McDowell, will be in both Beijing and Shanghai.