The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is having a busy time. On Tuesday night he treated all 31 Ministers, senior and junior, to dinner in the Italian Room in Government Buildings, no doubt to celebrate their ascension into power. On Wednesday night he took the 20 or so political correspondents of the national media to dinner across the road in the Merrion Hotel to celebrate Christmas. On Thursday night he flew to Luxembourg for the EU summit, returning to Dublin today.
Tomorrow he leaves for New York where he and Celia Larkin are guests of honour at a dinner hosted
by ambassador Sean O hUiginn to introduce him to US corporate leaders. Early on Monday he trav els to Washington for a meeting with President Bill Clinton and in the afternoon flies to Boston for a dinner that night hosted by Senator Ted Kennedy. On Tuesday morning he visits a community group in the city and arrives back in Dublin that night.
And all that on top of the day job - running the country.