The number of Ministers travelling abroad this year for St Patrick’s Day is to be reduced by half, with Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and several other senior Cabinet ministers staying at home.
Publishing a list of the Ministers’ engagements today, the Government said all departments had been instructed to keep costs to a minimum and “the total cost will be considerably less than in previous years”.
However, the Taoiseach insisted the nation’s future prosperity depended on nurturing global connections and St Patrick’s Day provided an “unparalleled opportunity” to achieve this.
Mr Cowen will travel to the White House in Washington for his first meeting with Barack Obama and for the traditional presentation of the shamrock to the US president on St Patrick's Day.
His meeting with Mr Obama is expected to focus on the global economic crisis.
All of the Ministers have been instructed to use their visits to explain the Government’s efforts to bring the budget under control rather than attending many cultural engagements as in previous years.
Some Ministers are to visit more than one location to cover for the absence of a full team of Ministers.
“This St Patrick’s Day, the Government will be sending a message that Ireland has a clear and comprehensive strategy for dealing with the impact of the economic crisis, that the Irish people are fighting back and that we are preparing to take advantage of the international recovery when it comes,” Mr Cowen said.
“I know that some people question the value of these trips, particularly during this severe economic downturn, but St Patrick’s Day gives Ireland a global platform that is the envy of practically every country in the world.
“It gives us an unparalleled opportunity to send out a positive message about Ireland and to inform political and business leaders, trading and investment partners and the international media about how we are tackling the current challenges,” he said.
Initially it had been planned to cut the number of Ministers travelling to 21, but this has been cut again in the last two days to 17.
Full list of Government trips for St Patrick's Day:
Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin – New York and Washington DC
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan – London
Minister for Agriculture and Food Brendan Smith – Munich, Berlin & Dusseldorf
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey – Toronto
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan – San Francisco and New York
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív – Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen – Houston
Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin – Philadelphia and Atlanta
Attorney General Paul Gallagher – Seattle
Minister of State Pat Carey - Boston
Minister of State Barry Andrews – Mumbai and New Delhi
Minister of State Trevor Sargent – Paris
Minister of State Jimmy Devins - Chicago
Minister of State Peter Power – Birmingham
Minister of State John McGuinness – Edinburgh and Glasgow
Minister of State Billy Kelleher – Rome and Milan