Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will be travelling abroad for the St. Patrick's Day festivities; and if so, the location he will be visiting; the functions he will be attending; and the groups he will meet. [9943/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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It is intended that I will visit Malaysia, Thailand and Japan during St. Patrick's week.

In Kuala Lumpur I expect to meet the vice-president of the St. Patrick's Society and attend the St. Patrick's ball. I also expect to meet my Malaysian ministerial counterpart, attend an Irish business network function, co-hosted by the Irish Ambassador and Enterprise Ireland, and attend a function for business partners by Irish Universities Medical Consortium. I propose to spend one day in Bangkok where I will be attending the Festival of Ireland 2006, organised by the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

The programme for my visit to Tokyo and Osaka is being finalised. However, I expect to attend meetings at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Matsushita Electrics and meet the Irish communities in both cities. I also hope to meet the Japanese Foreign Minister, the Vice-Foreign Minister and a number of parliamentarians, the Minister for the Environment and attend a function organised by the American Ireland Fund of Japan in addition to attending the St. Patrick's Day parade in Toyko.