The Government has outlined its ministerial travel plans for St Patrick's Day.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tánaiste Joan Burton and 27 ministers are travelling abroad for political and trade meetings in 27 countries over the St Patrick’s Day festival.
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan is the only minister who will not be travelling.
The announcement is part of the Government’s St Patrick’s Day ‘Promote Ireland’ programme.
Mr Kenny will be making his usual visit to Washington DC where he will meet US President Barack Obama.
The Taoiseach is also expected to visit two other cities during his time in the US, although exact details of those trips have yet to be officially announced.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan has said that ministerial trade trips over the St Patrick's Day festival last year had cost €300,000.
He also said there had been an immediate gain of €5 million as a result of the trips.
Minister Flanagan said that he expects the costs this year to be similar and added that each minister and minister of state would report back on progress made during the trip in terms of business to the Taoiseach.
The ministers travelling are:
Taoiseach Enda Kenny
Tánaiste Joan Burton – US (Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia)
Minister Charlie Flanagan – Canada and New York
Minister Brendan Howlin – South Korea and Japan
Minister James Reilly – UAE and India
Minister Alan Kelly – China
Minister Leo Varadkar – Mexico
Minister Richard Bruton – Paris
Minister Jan O’Sullivan – Brazil
Minister Simon Coveney – Italy
Minister Heather Humphreys – London
Minister Alex White – New Zealand
Minister Frances Fitzgerald – Indonesia, Singapore
Minister Paschal Donohoe – San Franciso, Silicon Valley and San Jose
Minister of State Simon Harris – Germany
Minister of State Kevin Humphreys – Croatia and Switzerland
Minister of State Damien English – Denmark and Slovakia
Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin – Hungary
Minister of State Sean Sherlock – Ethopia
Minister of State Paul Kehoe – Houston
Minister of State Kathleen Lynch – Russia
Minister of State Ged Nash - Sweden
Minister of State Michael Ring – USA (Phoenix, Los Angeles)
Minister of State Jimmy Deenihan – USA (Chicago, Milwaukee)
Minister of State Tom Hayes – Australia
Minister of State Joe McHugh – UK (Scotland)
Minister of State Paudie Coffey – USA (St Louis, Indianapolis)
Minister of State Dara Murphy – Belgium
Minister of State Ann Phelan – The Netherlands
