NINETEEN MINISTERS and Ministers of State were abroad yesterday on St Patrick's Day-related trips, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Dáil. He said the figure would increase to 26 today.
"When I look at the calendar, March 17th is St Patrick's Day - it has never changed," said Mr Kenny.
"From that point of view, it seems that, to some extent, these visits have gone beyond a direct focus on contacts for Ireland, or interest in investment, tourism and developing our links with our diaspora and other countries."
Mr Kenny said he understood the reason the House was not sitting next week was to facilitate Ministers going abroad.
Referring to RTÉ radio's coverage of the cost of ministerial visits this time last year, he said some of the expense was questionable, particularly relating to accommodation and limousine costs.
He suggested that it was time to cut back on the range of some of the ministerial trips given that some appeared to last for a week or 10 days.
"I do not want to send every Minister away with his or her sandwich pack in a bag." However there was a disconnect between Government and the people regarding such issues as salary increases and requirements to cut back.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said St Patrick's Day, and the period around it, involved a large number of events and functions, with many taking place in the period from Friday to Tuesday in different parts of the world.
"As well as being our national day, it provides a framework to showcase modern Ireland all over the world. Successive governments have done this successfully for many years, and it is used unashamedly by us as a marketing opportunity."
Mr Ahern said St Patrick's Day offered an excellent opportunity to highlight to a global audience the advantages of doing business in the Republic, and also to promote it as a world-class tourist destination, which helped to attract inward investment.
"There are also the historical developments in recent years in the peace process and other issues."
He said trade between Ireland and the countries which Government representatives would visit on St Patrick's Day was valued at over €165 million.
Mr Ahern said a total of 45 locations had been highlighted this year for Ministers to cover.
He added that "our neighbours and colleagues across the water" had decided on a new national holiday to promote their identity and bring their sense of Britishness to their people.
"It is interesting that they chose to do it this week because recently they attend St Patrick's Day events all over America, which we are always very pleased to see. I am glad to see they also have a great respect for St Patrick.
"Thankfully, we have that. We have had that for generations. We have had St Patrick for a few thousand years, and we have built around that."
