LABOUR’S RUAIRI QUINN HAS offered to participate in a pairing arrangement with Fianna Fáil which would allow Mary Coughlan participate on a US trade mission.

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One today, Quinn said that he would be prepared to make an agreement if he is persuaded that the US trip is worthwhile.

He said he would like to meet with Coughlan on the issue, adding that as Labour’s spokesperson on education he believed new jobs were vital to the country:

I believe this is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed on behalf of the country.

The Tánaiste had to cancel an Enterprise Ireland-organised trip aimed at encouraging more US students to study in Ireland after Fine Gael withdrew from their pairing arrangement with the government.

The opposition party said it was no longer prepared to reduce its Dáil voting numbers to accommodate absent ministers.

Also speaking on News at One, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said he would not tolerate a situation where ministers could travel all over the world and refused to rescind his decision to end government pairing.