Government announces comprehensive St. Patrick’s Day Programme, promoting “Ireland’s Future in the World”

The Government today announced the St Patrick's Day programme for 2024, which will see the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and representatives of the State engage in an extensive international programme to promote Ireland and Irish interests and values around the world.

St Patrick’s Day is an unparalleled opportunity to promote Ireland as a great place to visit, work, study, trade with, and invest in. This year, in all, 38 representatives of the State will bring Ireland’s message to 86 cities in 48 countries.

The theme for St Patrick’s Day 2024 will be “Ireland’s Future in the World”, which will focus on young Irish people, and our diaspora, and their perspectives about the world of the future and Ireland’s place in it. It will highlight the impact and achievements of young Irish and diaspora leaders across the fields of innovation, creativity, community development, business, and academia around the world.

Ministers will emphasise Ireland’s commitment to international peace and security and the rules-based multilateral system, especially at this time of conflict and turbulence. Other key messages will include the strength of Ireland’s economy, our active membership of the European Union, our commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement, and the high priority we attach to climate action and sustainability.

Programmes undertaken by Ministers will strengthen our links with the diaspora and business leaders.

ENDS

Press Office

30 January 2024

Notes to Editors

St Patrick’s Day 2024 Ministerial Plans

Taoiseach	Leo Varadkar	United States - Washington & Boston
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Defence	Micheál Martin	Canada - Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto
Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications; Minister for Transport	Eamon Ryan	Brazil
Minister for Finance	Michael McGrath	China
Minister for Public Expenditure and National Development Plan Delivery and Reform	Paschal Donohoe	France, Bulgaria
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment	Simon Coveney	India, Bangladesh
Minister for Education	Norma Foley	UK - Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, London
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media	Catherine Martin	United States - Nashville, Austin
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage	Darragh O'Brien	South Africa, Zambia
Minister for Social Protection; Minister for Rural and Community Development	Heather Humphreys	United States - Springfield, Chicago & Madison
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine	Charlie McConalogue	Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth	Roderic O'Gorman	Japan - Tokyo, Osaka
Minister for Health	Stephen Donnelly	Australia - Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science	Simon Harris	UK - London
Minister for Justice	Helen McEntee	United States - New York
Chief Whip & MOS D/Taoiseach, D/Health - Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy	Hildegarde Naughton	Singapore
MOS D/Taoiseach & Foreign Affairs - EU Affairs and the Department of Defence	Peter Burke	United States - Atlanta & Savannah
MOS Foreign Affairs - International Development & Diaspora	Seán Fleming	Nigeria, Ghana
MOS DPENDR and TCAGSM - OPW and the Gaeltacht	Patrick O'Donovan	United States - St Louis & Kansas City
MOS DPENDR & DECC - Public Procurement and eGovernment; Communications and Circular Economy	Ossian Smyth	Korea
MOS D/Education - Special Education & Inclusion	Josepha Madigan	Switzerland
MOS DFHERIS - Skills and Further Education	Niall Collins	United States - Cleveland, Pittsburgh
MOS D/Transport & D/Environment, Climate and Communications - International and Road Transport and Logistics; Postal Policy	Jack Chambers	New Zealand - Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland
MOS D/Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Land Use and Biodiversity	Senator Pippa Hackett	Finland, Estonia and Latvia
MOS D/ Agriculture, Food and the Marine - R&D, Farm Safety and New Market Development	Martin Heydon	Germany
MOS D/Health & D/ Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth - Disability	Anne Rabbitte	Sweden, Denmark
MOS D/Enterprise, Trade and Employment & D/SP - Business, Employment and Retail	Neale Richmond	Croatia, Slovenia
MOS D/Rural and Community Development, D/SP, D/Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth - Community Development and Charities; Integration	Joe O'Brien	The Netherlands, Belgium
MOS D/Housing, Local Government and Heritage - Local Government and Planning	Kieran O'Donnell	Slovakia, Austria, Czechia
MOS D/ Housing, Local Government and Heritage - Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform	Malcolm Noonan	Poland, Romania
MOS D/Enterprise, Trade & Employment - Trade Promotion & Digital Transformation	Dara Calleary	Peru, Chile and Argentina
MOS D/TCAGSM, D/Education - Sport and Physical Education	Thomas Byrne	United States - Phoenix, Los Angeles
MOS D/Finance - Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance	Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill	United States - Miami; Costa Rica and Mexico
MOS D/Justice - International Law, Law Reform & Youth Justice	James Browne	Vietnam
MOS D/Health - Mental Health and Older People	Mary Butler	Cyprus, Italy, Holy See
Ceann Comhairle	Seán Ó Fearghaíl	Spain, Portugal
Cathaoirleach	Jerry Buttimer	United States - San Francisco & Seattle
Attorney General	Rossa Fanning	United States - Washington and Boston