A total of eight Ministers will travel to the United States as part of a diplomatic charm offensive this St Patrick’s Day.
In addition to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who is going to Washington, DC, and Texas, and Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is travelling to Philadelphia and New York.
A further five Cabinet members and one Minister of State will go to the US, alongside the Attorney General at what is a key juncture in US-European relations.
US president Donald Trump kept the tradition of meeting sitting taoisigh at the White House during his first term of office. However, an invite from White House invite has not landed yet this year.
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In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Ministers will “promote Irish investment overseas, international research and education collaborations, mutually beneficial partnerships between Irish and overseas companies and the successes and growth of overseas companies that have chosen Ireland as their base in Europe”.
Minister for the Environment Darragh O’Brien is going to Miami and Los Angeles, while Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke will travel to Boston and New Hampshire.
Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary travels to Atlanta and Savannah, and Minister for Arts and Media Patrick O’Donovan goes to Seattle and San Francisco.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will go to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York and also visit Chicago, while Attorney General Rossa Fanning will travel to Michigan and Montana.
Junior minister Alan Dillon is going to Utah, and travelling on to Vancouver in Canada.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe travels to Germany, while Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers will go to Chile and Argentina. Minister for Children Norma Foley will remain close to home, visiting London.
Two Ministers will travel to Australia, with Minister for Education Helen McEntee flying down under. She will be joined by Minister of State Emer Higgins, who visits Western Australia.
Minister for Higher Education James Lawless travels to India, with Minister for Housing James Browne going to China. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan will visit the Holy See, Malta and Italy.
Super junior minister Hildegarde Naughton travels to Japan, with her fellow super juniors Noel Grealish, Sean Canney and Marian Harkin going to Vietnam and Cambodia, Brazil, and to the Netherlands and Belgium respectively.
Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne will visit France, with Minister of State at the Department of Sport Charlie McConalogue going to Colombia. Kevin Boxer Moran, the Minister of State for the OPW, will visit Portugal.
Minister of State at the Department of Finance Robert Troy travels to Czechia, and Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs Neale Richmond will travel to Kenya and Tanzania. Jerry Buttimer, junior minister at the Department of Rural and Community Development, goes to New Zealand.
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Minister of State at the Department of Housing John Cummins travels to Thailand and the Philippines, while Christopher O’Sullivan, Minister of State for Nature and Heritage, goes to Norway and Poland.
Minister of State for older people Kieran O’Donnell is going to Cardiff and Manchester, and Minister of State at the Department of Health Jennifer Murnane O’Connor is going to Greece and Cyprus.
Junior justice minister Niall Collins is going to Mexico, while Minister of State for Trade Promotion Niamh Smyth is visiting the Baltic States of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Incoming Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Timmy Dooley is going to Canada, while junior minister for migration Colm Brophy is going to Spain.
Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy will travel to Switzerland, while the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad – yet to be elected – will go to Edinburgh.
