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Politics

16th Jan 2018

Here’s where 36 Government ministers will be spending St. Patrick’s Day abroad this year

Conor Heneghan

St. Patrick's Day

The Minister for Transport, will, ironically, once again be staying at home.

Irish Government ministers will once again travel all over world to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in 2018, visiting 35 countries in total, an increase of eight on last year’s figure.

As is the usual custom, our Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, will visit the President of the United States, Donald Trump, in the White House, one of a number of scheduled stops for Varadkar on his trip Stateside.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney is off to China and Hong Kong, Finance Minister Paschal Donohue will be heading to Argentina and Health Minister Simon Harris will travel to Belgium and The Netherlands.

Heather Humphreys and Michael Ring are amongst a number of ministers who will be travelling to various parts of the United States, while some of the lengthier trips will be made by Charlie Flanagan (Australia), Andrew Doyle (Vietnam), JP Phelan (Singapore) and Jim Daly (Australia and New Zealand).

You can see the full St. Patrick’s Day itinerary below.

USA: An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar T.D.

China and Hong Kong: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D.

Argentina: Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform, Paschal Donohoe T.D.

Germany: Minister for Education and Skills Richard Bruton T.D.

Australia: Minister for Justice and Equality Charles Flanagan T.D.

USA: Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys T.D.

The Netherlands and Belgium: Minister for Health Simon Harris T.D.

UK: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D.

Canada: Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten T.D.

Ireland: Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross T.D.

Italy: Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone T.D.

USA: Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring T.D.

France: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty T.D.

Korea and Japan: Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy T.D.

Norway and Sweden: Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan T.D.

Brazil: Government Chief Whip Joe McHugh T.D.

UAE and Oman: Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor T.D.

Lebanon and Cyprus: Minister for Defence, Paul Kehoe T.D.

Czech Republic: Minister for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath T.D.

USA: Minister for Diaspora and Development, Ciaran Cannon T.D.

Poland: Minister for Housing and Urban Development Damian English T.D.

USA: Minister for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton T.D.

Scotland: Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection Pat Breen T.D.

Denmark and Finland: Minister for National Drugs Strategy & Health Promotion, Catherine Byrne T.D.

Vietnam: Minister for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle T.D.

UK: Minister for Training, Skills, Innovation and Research and Development, John Halligan T.D.

Switzerland: Minister for Community, Natural Resources and Digital Development, Sean Kyne T.D.

Canada: Minister for Public Procurement, Open Government and eGovernment Patrick O’Donovan T.D.

Austria and Slovakia: Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee T.D.

Kenya: Minister for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Kevin Boxer Moran T.D.

Singapore: Minister for Local Government and Electoral Reform, John Paul Phelan T.D.

Australia & New Zealand: Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Jim Daly T.D.

Mexico & USA: Minister for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin T.D.

USA: Minister for Financial Services and Insurance, Michael D’Arcy T.D.

USA: Attorney General Seamus Wolfe SC

Croatia: Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghail T.D.

Slovenia & Bosnia Herzegovina: Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Senator Denis O’Donovan

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