MAJOR CUTS in the cost of Ministers’ St Patrick’s Day international visits are to be imposed, including a reduction in the numbers of Ministers and staff travelling and the use of economy tickets for shorter journeys.
Despite the Government’s intention yesterday to publish a list of the Ministers’ engagements, there was no sign of the document late yesterday evening and no indication of when it will be released.
In January, the Department of Foreign Affairs brought a memorandum to the Cabinet saying the travel costs would be kept as “economic as possible” and Ministers have been told to keep accompanying delegations small.
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan is to travel to London, where he will brief members of the editorial board of the Financial Times newspaper, which has taken a strongly negative line on Irish prospects.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is scheduled, it is understood, to travel to Australia. It is understood that he offered to fly economy class, a suggestion ruled out since as impractical.
All of the Ministers are to spend their time explaining 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.
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 16, sources indicated.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen will visit Washington to meet US president Barack Obama at the White House.
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon O Cuív will not be leaving Ireland, while the Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea, as usual, will also stay at home.