Taoiseach still on course for St Patrick’s Day Washington visit

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will travel to Washington for the annual St Patrick's Day trip, although the international ministerial travel programme will be curtailed.

A Government spokesman said the invitation to Washington was extended to the office of Taoiseach, rather than any individual.

FF leader

Mr Kenny will put his name before the Dáil when it elects a taoiseach on March 10th and is likely to be, in effect, a caretaker if he and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin lose that vote.

Mr Kenny will then travel to Washington if that is the case, his spokesman indicated.

However, the wider ministerial travel programme will be curtailed and Ministers who lost their seats will not travel abroad.