A NUMBER of Cabinet Ministers are decamping to the “kingdom” for a summer holiday at home, with Kerry proving the destination of choice for Taoiseach Enda Kenny and colleagues.
Mr Kenny told the Dáil yesterday he had “no intention of leaving the country on holiday this summer” but would be heading for “the mountains of Co Kerry”.
He will take his annual two-week break in the county, as he has done for the last 20 years, with his wife Fionnuala and teenagers Aoibhinn, Ferdia and Naoise. He plans to “do some hillwalking, swim in the Atlantic and catch up on some reading”, his spokeswoman said.
Kerry is also calling Minister for Transport and Tourism Leo Varadkar, who said: “Part of my department is in Killarney, so I’ll spend a few days there and then have a few days off.” He will also visit Waterford during the first week of his fortnight break.
The always-on Minister said that “even at this late stage”, there were still great deals up for grabs on holidays in Ireland.
“Every holiday at home is another boost for the economy.”
He will venture abroad for his second week. “I’m also planning to head to Spain, where I might do some walking; or, alternatively, I might head to the US to really get away from it all for a while.”
Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte is also Kerry-bound, if past form is anything to go by.
“No plans yet but I have spent the holidays in west Kerry during 20 of the last 21 years,” he said.
The southwestern county is also likely to play host to Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs Jimmy Deenihan, who is from Listowel.
For other Ministers, the holiday period provides a welcome opportunity to catch up on reading for pleasure. Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation Richard Bruton has not yet decided on a destination but already has his books packed.
He has chosen Leonard Cohen's poetry collection Book of Longing, Joseph O'Connor's novel Redemption Falls, Turkish author Orhan Pamuk's political novel Snow, and A Fine Balanceby Indian-born Canadian novelist Rohinton Mistry.
Galway-bound Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald, who said she has become "a very bad attender of my book club" since her elevation to Cabinet, will be following the recommendations of friends in the club. They picked A Visit From The Goon Squadby Jennifer Egan and The Hare with Amber Eyesby Edmund de Waal.
Ms Fitzgerald, who will also visit Clare Island in Co Mayo, plans to reread All The Devils Are Hereby business journalists Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera, an account of the origins of the financial crisis. She also hopes to dip into Emma Donoghue's novel Room, Antonia Fraser's Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter, and Niall Ferguson's Civilisation: the West and the Rest.
Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin's summer reads are Wexford writer Eoin Colfer's novel Pluggedand Alistair Cooke's Reporting America. His spokeswoman said Mr Howlin "has no holidays planned but is looking forward to spending time in Wexford", his constituency.
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton are both heading west. “I will spend some time in the west of Ireland and will also go abroad,” Mr Hogan said. “I plan to take two weeks off. I will play some golf, walk a lot and the rest of the time I will rest and do some reading.”
Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney is spending time at home and abroad. “I will be spending some time in one of my favourite places to go on holiday, west Cork, which I do every year. I’m also going to have a week outside of Ireland with my family.”
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore will relax in Ireland, “with the possibility of also going abroad”. Also holidaying at home will be Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn.
For reasons of security, the plans of Minister for Justice Alan Shatter are not disclosed.
