Madam, – A simple way to save taxpayers’ money on our national holiday: let Ireland be represented by our ambassadors and embassy staff (who are already abroad) at St Patrick Day events worldwide. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Martin Ford (March 7th) gets the annual barrage of letters to the Editor bemoaning our politicians’ trips abroad on the national holiday off to an early start. Blinded by understandable anger at our political class, many argue that elected officials should stay home. Theirs is a foolhardy argument.
St Patrick’s Day has become a truly international holiday, celebrated with zest from Boston to Beijing. On the day, Irish politicians have extraordinary access to business people, to artists and celebrities and to their political counterparts around the world. St Patrick’s Day helps Ireland, a relatively minuscule island country on Europe’s western fringe, to punch well above its weight in the global arena.
Do government ministers need to stay in suites in five-star hotels, to use limousines as airport shuttles and to avail of other over-the-top luxuries wherever they go? No. But do they need to go? Absolutely. – Yours, etc,