NOT surprisingly, probably the only minister to be left in the country on St Patrick's Day next month will be our Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, James McDaid, who will be reviewing the parade in Dublin. All other ministers will be obeying the Taoiseach's instructions and leaving the country for points distant to fly the flag.
Bertie Ahern believes they should all be abroad promoting Ireland on the one day in the year when the country is guaranteed to get news coverage.
The Taoiseach is going to Washington, as usual, to commune with Bill and present the shamrock. He also goes to San Jose, aka Silicon Valley. The Tanaiste, Mary Harney, will represent us at Irish gatherings in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh. A huge contingent is off to North America - Michael Smith will be in New York, Mary O'Rourke in Boston, Seamus Brennan in San Francisco, John O'Donoghue in Los Angeles, Liz O'Donnell in New Orleans, Michael Woods in Montreal and Toronto, the Attorney General, David Byrne in Chicago, Frank Fahy in Dallas and Houston, Dan Wallace in San Diego, Dermot Ahern in Savannah, Georgia and Ned O'Keeffe in St Louis.
Meanwhile, Noel Davern will be in Cyprus and Lebanon, Sile de Valera is going to Australia, Bobby Molloy to New Zealand, Noel Dempsey to South Africa, Brian Cowen to Paris and Martin Cullen to Buenos Aires.
David Andrews was to go to Nairobi, but now has to stay at home for EU negotiations. It is understood that Charlie McCreevy, currently in the US for the America-Ireland Fund, is going to Cheltenham.