Government Globetrotting - Paddy's Day Junkets Announced

Lapin · 18-02-2014 09:22PM #1

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

Doubtless there are some people who will argue that sending Ciaran Cannon to Romania is vital to the prosperity of the nation but I can't see them convincing me. Especially when the same minister can't be bothered to save hospital beds in his own constituency. But thats another story.

And what did the poor Vietnamese ever do to have Kathleen Lynch inflicted upon them? At least while she's over there she's not ruining people's lives here.

The main problem I have with all these ministers heading off is that they all have return tickets.

Who's minding the house when they're all gone? They usually leave one poor muppet behind in case we get invaded by the Isle of Man or something. Back in the Fianna Fáil days it was usually Willie O'Dea.

Scouser · 18-02-2014 09:24PM

im all for it

make use of our global reach - might attract some business, some jobs, investment etc

most countries would kill for our global brand

Atlantic Dawn · 18-02-2014 09:25PM

Once they don't take limos from one side of an airport to the other or $500 hair cuts they are good to go.

Lapin · 18-02-2014 09:35PM

Scouser wrote: »

most countries would kill for our global brand

Yeah Ukraine is doing a pretty good job at that right now.

Holsten · 18-02-2014 09:37PM

Are the figures for these trips released?

Fratton Fred · 18-02-2014 10:20PM

How many ****ing ministers of state does a country with 4.5million people actually need?

There's the guts of €4m worth of salaries there before they take their personal entourage off around the world

MadsL · 18-02-2014 10:23PM

Lovely, where am I going...oh wait.

Looks like it is corned beef and cabbage on St Patty's Day again...

MadsL · 18-02-2014 10:26PM

Lapin wrote: »

Minister Leo Varadkar - Georgia, USA.
Minister of State Sean Sherlock - Illinois & Kansas, USA

Georgia and Kansas? Da f8ck?

I might just drive to Kansas to heckle Sherlock, anyone up to split gas money?

RonnieRocket · 18-02-2014 10:29PM

I'm not an eternal contrarian. I'll give the government credit when do they a good job. But these all expenses paid junkets are taking the píss. There is no significant Irish community in Vietnam and the country is a basket-case. We have no investment opportunities to win from them. Most of the Vietnamese population probably couldn't find Ireland on a map. I can only assume Gilmore and co had to be seen giving their commie comrades an acknowledgement. I await abuse from the party shills who will bend over backwards to defend their minister's taxpayer funded vacation.

wazky · 18-02-2014 10:30PM

MadsL wrote: »

Georgia and Kansas? Da f8ck?

I might just drive to Kansas to heckle Sherlock, anyone up to split gas money?

Yeah can you pick me up outside Dunnes in an hour?

sawdoubters · 18-02-2014 10:30PM

how come no one going to poland

Skid X · 18-02-2014 10:32PM

Scouser wrote: »

im all for it

make use of our global reach - might attract some business, some jobs, investment etc

most countries would kill for our global brand

I agree. For a relatively modest outlay it gives us an opportunity to promote ourselves abroad.

Maybe some of the Ministers will do very little for us, and some of the postings are questionable (sending a junior Minister to Russia seems like a snub). But it's got to be worth a try. It improves our profile and gets us 'in the room' with key decision makers (at least occasionally).

tayto lover · 18-02-2014 10:32PM

I have no problem with them going at all.
It's the coming back bit I don't like.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-02-2014 10:37PM

MadsL wrote: »

Lovely, where am I going...oh wait.

Looks like it is corned beef and cabbage on St Patty's Day again...

Do any Irish people (in Ireland) actually eat corned beef and cabbage?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-02-2014 10:38PM

Best value for money we could spend. Great exposure worldwide and the envy of many countries for it. Well worth every cent every year!

18-02-2014 10:47PM

St. Patricks Day is the premier opportunity in the calendar to promote brand Ireland.

If they weren't everywhere they could be promoting the country it would be an awful waste of that once a year opportunity.

Fratton Fred · 18-02-2014 10:51PM

Candie wrote: »

St. Patricks Day is the premier opportunity in the calendar to promote brand Ireland.

If they weren't everywhere they could be promoting the country it would be an awful waste of that once a year opportunity.

Right so, we can scrap all the dodgy corporate tax laws and hand out a few leprechaun hats. The multinationals will be queuing up to build factories here.

18-02-2014 10:52PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Right so, we can scrap all the dodgy corporate tax laws and hand out a few leprechaun hats. The multinationals will be queuing up to build factories here.

Yeah. That's exactly what I said.

RonnieRocket · 18-02-2014 11:07PM

Tourists realise that "brand Ireland" - leprechauns, fair maidens dancing at the crossroads, donkeys and carts - is a crock of shíte the minute the aircoach drops them in the middle of O'Connell St, our country's ground zero. Hordes of braindead junkies and gypsies harassing them for change; Polish waitresses in restaurants; Nigerian taxi drivers; Spanish girls working in Carroll's gift shop. I doubt they interact with any Irish people here at all.

delw · 18-02-2014 11:08PM

Ah yes the jolly boys outing comes around again,28 of them feckin off to "promote" Ireland,well i can't wait to see how much investment comes from Vietnam,wonder how many people in Vietnam even heard of Ireland.
IF Ireland has such a global brand why do we need this PR stunt

Fratton Fred · 18-02-2014 11:13PM

Candie wrote: »

Yeah. That's exactly what I said.

It gets my goat though.

My mother in law has been waiting four months to see a consultant. In that time she's lost three stone. New year's day she went to A&E in excruciating pain and was told **** off, you don't look ill.

But let's ignore the mess the HSE is in and piss off to Vietnam and pretend everything's great back in the old country.

MadsL · 18-02-2014 11:13PM

wazky wrote: »

Yeah can you pick me up outside Dunnes in an hour?

Grand. You are getting the eggs then I take it.

MadsL · 18-02-2014 11:14PM

Kaysen Bitter Sunbather wrote: »

Do any Irish people (in Ireland) actually eat corned beef and cabbage?

Not that I have ever witnessed. Nor any lad called Patty.

jank · 18-02-2014 11:29PM

Three things you can be sure about St. Patricks Day.

The annual gift of Shamrocks to the US president.
Streams of piss on the main street after the days festivities.
A thread on AH giving out about ministers travelling abroad.

wazky · 18-02-2014 11:32PM

MadsL wrote: »

Grand. You are getting the eggs then I take it.

Eggs for sherlock, bricks for varadkar.

18-02-2014 11:35PM

Pickled herring from Ikea.

I was being brave and expected it to the same as a fish monger smells.

It turned out to taste sweet and gingery and goes very well with rye bread / crackers

Plates · 18-02-2014 11:38PM

Kaysen Bitter Sunbather wrote: »

Do any Irish people (in Ireland) actually eat corned beef and cabbage?

Of course, what other sustenance would give you the energy to beat a leprechaun in a race to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? To be sure.

Lapin · 18-02-2014 11:44PM

jank wrote: »

A thread on AH giving out about ministers travelling abroad.

Yeah, and the inevitable post giving out about the annual thread giving out about ministers sodding off.

Cookie_Monster · 18-02-2014 11:46PM

Candie wrote: »

St. Patricks Day is the premier opportunity in the calendar to promote brand Ireland.

If they weren't everywhere they could be promoting the country it would be an awful waste of that once a year opportunity.

How exactly do some third rate politicians promote Ireland effectively? If we were paying business leaders, celebs and sports stars to go on these trips it would be money better spent.
No one outside of Ireland is going to give a **** about some nobody minister of state visiting their country whereas if it was someone famous there'd at least be national interest in it.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 18-02-2014 11:46PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

My mother in law has been waiting four months to see a consultant. In that time she's lost three stone. New year's day she went to A&E in excruciating pain and was told **** off, you don't look ill.

I doubt that happened though.

Fratton Fred · 18-02-2014 11:52PM

Rayan Deafening Variant wrote: »

I doubt that happened though.

It was put a little nicer than that, right before she was asked why she wouldn't go private.

Government Globetrotting - Paddy's Day Junkets Announced

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