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AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
St Patrick's Day
Slideshow: Eight ministers going abroad for St Patrick's Day
Check out which ministers are going where for next week’s national holiday.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED this year’s overseas travel programme for St Patrick’s Day, which will see the Taoiseach and eight ministers heading abroad for the holiday.
While Enda Kenny is planning to meet US President Barack Obama at the White House to provide the annual bowl of Irish shamrock, the other countries on the list include Australia, India and Rome.
The full programme for each minister’s trip has yet to be announced, but one will be travelling to Christchurch, New Zealand, where two Irish people are known to have died in the city’s recent earthquake.
Last year, the then-Taoiseach Brian Cowen, ten ministers and 11 junior ministers travelled abroad for St Patrick’s Day.
Click through our slideshow for the names of the ministers who will be travelling next week – and where they’re going:
Germany - Richard Bruton, Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation
Australia and Christchurch, New Zealand - Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Children
India - Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport
London: Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs (12-14 March)
London: Joan Burton, Minister for Social Protection (16-17 March)
Rome and Milan: Ruairí Quinn, Minister for Education and Skills
Paris: Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food
New York - Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Washington DC - Taoiseach Enda Kenny
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