GOVERNMENT CHIEF Whip and local Minister of State Paul Kehoe has defended his two-week trip to Australia as part of the annual St. Patrick’s Day ministerial visits, saying that it was important to “sell Ireland abroad”.
The Enniscorthy TD spent 14 days in Australia and New Zealand, travelling to more than 40 events in the main cities of Perth, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand.
Minister Kehoe told The Echo that this year, 21 ministers went abroad for St. Patrick’s Day and that the Department of Foreign Affairs decided who went where. He added that that the main aim of the trips was to sell Ireland abroad.
“The trips are trade missions. In my case, I met with the various agencies in Australia – both members of our own organisations based over there and members of native enterprise boards and groups.”
He added that at one particular event which Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard attended, a €20 million investment deal into Ireland was discussed at great length and is expected to be finalised in the near future.
“There’s great positivity among the people over there. Most of them want to come home to Ireland and feel that they will have the opportunity to do so in the future.”
Responding to the question of the trip’s expense, which is funded by the tax payer, Minister Kehoe said that he did not know how much it cost, adding that part of the accommodation in was covered by Australian groups hosting him.
“I have no idea how much the trip cost but I can assure you that it was frugal in comparison to the Fianna Fáil days.These trips are organised completely by the Department of Foreign Affairs. I just get on the plane and follow the itinerary.”
He added that when inevitable Freedom of Information requests revealed the cost of the trips that they would not show huge spending figures like in the past.
“I have no problem with criticism of the trip. Anyone who wants to what I was doing in Australia can come into my office and I will show them. I can assure that it was no junket. It was tough and tiring but I enjoyed selling Ireland and I think it’s very important to use St. Patrick’s Day to do that. There is no other country in the world that has such an unbelievable present around the world as Ireland does.”
[Full Story in this week’s Echo]