The Absent Irish Government

Irish Government Minister’s are visiting 33 different locations around the world. After two years of lockdowns they have spread themselves thinly across the world this year obviously spreading St. Patricks message to faraway places where the shamrock doesn’t grow. Russia and China are not on their list of places to visit.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin started off in London and from there he went on to the USA for the Taoiseach’s traditional St Patrick’s Day White House visit. That didn’t go according to plan as you can read in our article “Michael Martin Locked Up in Washington DC. St. Patricks Revenge?” Here is where they all went with greetings from St. Patrick at your expense.

Where to Find the Irish Government

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar went off to the sun in the warmer climes of Colombia and Chile.

Minister for the Environment and Windowsill Lettuce Eamon Ryan is visiting New York.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe visited The Netherlands and London

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath spread himself from Francisco to Vancouver, Canada.

Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin took off to Argentina which has between half a million to a million people of Irish descent including the founder of the Argentine Nave Admiral William Brown.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien went to the United Arab Emirates where St. Patrick wouldn’t be welcome. Dubai Expo 2021 is hosting 192 countries from around the world.  “Connecting Minds and Creating the Future” is the exhibition’s theme.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee went south to the genteel environs of Savannah, Georgia. USA.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly took off to Austin, Texas where his kind of draconian lockdowns are frowned upon.

Two Cabinet Ministers and a Minister of State haven’t travelled overseas this year. Simon Coveney and Heather Humphreys are steering the ship of State at home while all of the others are away. Minister of State Malcom Noonan is doing lookout for them.

The following itinerary of Ministerial visits is taking place as part of the Governments St Patrick’s Day programme:

• Taoiseach Micheál Martin – London, UK; Washington DC, USA
• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar – Colombia; Chile
• Minister Eamon Ryan – New York, USA
• Minister Paschal Donohoe – The Netherlands; London, UK
• Minister Michael McGrath – San Francisco, USA; Vancouver, Canada
• Minister Catherine Martin – Argentina
• Minister Darragh O’Brien – UAE (Expo)
• Minister Simon Coveney – Minister on call/Engagements on island of Ireland
• Minister Norma Foley – Boston, USA
• Minister Roderic O’Gorman – New York, USA; Philadelphia, USA
• Minister Simon Harris – France
• Minister Helen McEntee – Savannah, USA
• Minister Stephen Donnelly – Austin, Texas, USA
• Minister Charlie McConalogue – Canada
• Minister of State Jack Chambers – LA, USA
• Minister of State Pippa Hackett – Greece
• Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton – Australia; New Zealand
• Minister of State Thomas Byrne – Italy
• Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan – Chicago, USA
• Minister of State Ossian Smyth – Spain; Portugal
• Minister of State Josepha Madigan – Slovenia
• Minister of State Martin Heydon – Lebanon
• Minister of State Anne Rabbitte – Romania
• Minister of State Colm Brophy – Mexico
• Minister of State Joe O’Brien – Finland
• Minister of State Peter Burke – Japan; South Korea
• Minister of State Robert Troy – India
• Minister of State Damien English – Sweden
• Minister of State Mary Butler – Belgium
• Minister of State Frank Feighan – Poland
• Minister of State Niall Collins – Croatia
• Minister of State Sean Fleming – North of England; Scotland, UK
• Minister of State James Browne – Czech Republic
• Attorney General Paul Gallagher – Washington DC, USA

The costs and the benefits of those trips won’t be calculated for some time. Let us hope we get some value for the tax payers money invested in those trips since the justification for those trips is the financial gains that they accrue.