TWO Irish Government ministers will visit Britain this year as part of the annual St Patrick’s Day programme that will see a raft of Irish Government officials leave Ireland for the annual festivity.
A total of 27 ministers and junior ministers - along with Taoiseach Enda Kenny - will visit more than 35 cities in 23 countries across Europe, America and Asia.
Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte will travel to Birmingham and London, while Minister of State for the Department of the Environment Jan O’Sullivan will go to Scotland.
The visits are taking part under the Government’s international St. Patrick’s Day ‘Promote Ireland’ programme.
Mexico and Vietnam are included amongst the destinations in this year's programme for the first time.
Russia is also back on the list for the first time since 2010.
As part of the programme Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore will travel to France while Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton will attend a series of business events in Italy.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny will visit the US.
North America features heavily in the programme with ministers taking in 11 US and two Canadian cities over the St. Patrick’s Day period.
In Britain a bilateral meeting is also expected to take place with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Government programme for St Patrick's Day 2014:
Taoiseach Enda Kenny - United States
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore - France
Minister Michael Noonan - Canada
Minister Brendan Howlin - China
Minister Richard Bruton - Italy
Minister Joan Burton - New York, USA
Minister Jimmy Deenihan - San Francisco, USA
Minister Pat Rabbitte - London & Birmingham, England
Minister Phil Hogan - United Arab Emirates
Minister Alan Shatter - Mexico
Minister Simon Coveney - New Zealand & eastern Australia
Minister Frances Fitzgerald - Japan & South Korea
Minister James Reilly - Massachusetts & Ohio, USA
Minister Leo Varadkar - Georgia, USA
Attorney General Máire Whelan - Washington DC, USA
Minister of State Paul Kehoe - Lebanon
Minister of State Jan O'Sullivan - Scotland
Minister of State Dinny McGinley - Pennsylvania, USA
Minister of State John Perry - Spain
Minister of State Michael Ring - The Netherlands
Minister of State Kathleen Lynch - Vietnam
Minister of State Fergus O'Dowd - Germany
Minister of State Sean Sherlock - Illinois & Kansas, USA
Minister of State Ciaran Cannon - Romania
Minister of State Alan Kelly - western Australia
Minister of State Alex White - Russia
Minister of State Tom Hayes - Norway
Minister of State Paschal Donohoe - Belgium & Luxembourg
Minister of State Joe Costello - Singapore
