The Irish government has released a list of ministers set to visit cities across the world to mark St Patrick’s Day.
As well as Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris travelling to the United States, there will be 38 representatives visiting 40 countries for the annual celebrations.
Among the countries that Irish government ministers will visit are Germany, Chile, Argentina, Australia and India.
The plan for the ministerial visits was brought before the Irish Cabinet on Wednesday and signed off.
The visits to the 90 cities will see the Irish government representatives emphasise that the Republic is a small, open economy with its economic success rooted in its willingness to build partnerships.
The success of companies who have chosen Ireland as their base in Europe will also be highlighted.
Mr Martin told RTÉ that the visits by ministers are “important, given our global trading position, and also to meet with the Irish diaspora and Irish communities across the globe who celebrate St Patrick’s Day”.
“There’s a particular focus on the United States this year, and given our extended diplomatic footprint that we’ve established over the last number of years in different states,” he said.
Ministers travelling to the United States:
- Taoiseach Micheál Martin – Texas and Washington DC
- Tánaiste Simon Harris – Philadelphia and New York
- Darragh O’Brien – Miami and Los Angeles
- Peter Burke – Boston and New Hampshire
- Dara Calleary – Atlanta and Savannah
- Patrick O’Donovan – Seattle and San Francisco
- Jennifer Carroll MacNeill – UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York and Chicago
- Attorney General – Rossa Fanning Michigan and Montana
- Alan Dillon – Utah (and Vancouver in Canada)
Ministers travelling to other locations:
- Paschal Donohoe – Germany
- Jack Chambers – Chile and Argentina
- Norma Foley – London
- Helen McEntee – Australia
- Jim O’Callaghan – Italy, Holy See and Malta
- James Browne – China
- James Lawless – India
- Mary Butler – Denmark and Sweden
- Hildegarde Naughton – Japan
- Noel Grealish – Vietnam and Cambodia
- Sean Canney – Brazil
- Thomas Byrne – France
- Charlie McConalogue – Colombia
- Kevin Boxer Moran – Portugal
- Emer Higgins – Western Australia
- Robert Troy – Czech Republic
- Neale Richmond – Kenya and Tanzania
- Jerry Buttimer – New Zealand
- John Cummins – Thailand and the Philippines
- Christopher O’Sullivan – Norway and Poland
- Kieran O’Donnell – Cardiff and Manchester
- Jennifer Murnane O’Connor – Greece and Cyprus
- Niall Collins – Mexico
- Niamh Smyth – Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
- Timmy Dooley – Canada
- Colm Brophy – Spain
- Marian Harkin – Netherlands & Belgium
Other visits:
- Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy – Switzerland
- Cathaoirleach Seanad (TBC) – Edinburgh