Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

There are 19 Ministers and Ministers of State absent today and 26 will be absent tomorrow. When I look at the calendar, 17 March is St. Patrick's Day — it has never changed. From that point of view, it seems that, to some extent, these visits have gone beyond a direct focus on contacts for Ireland or interest in investment, tourism and developing our links with our diaspora and other countries.

The House is not sitting next week. I understood this was to facilitate Ministers who would be abroad doing their duty for Ireland. I heard some of the comments this morning with regard to costs associated with ministerial visits last year. I suppose some of those are questionable, particularly those regarding accommodation and limousine costs. I understood the Department of the Taoiseach co-ordinates these visits. Did the Taoiseach sit down with his officials and plan these visits abroad by 26 Ministers and Ministers of State? Given the scale of visits both before and after St. Patrick's Day, was an analysis carried out of the value of what Ireland and its people are actually getting from the plethora of journeys abroad?

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