The Government today announced the St Patrick’s Day programme for 2024, which will see the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and representatives of the State engage in an extensive international programme to promote Ireland and Irish interests and values around the world.
St Patrick’s Day is an unparalleled opportunity to promote Ireland as a great place to visit, work, study, trade with, and invest in. This year, in all, 38 representatives of the State will bring Ireland’s message to 86 cities in 48 countries.
The theme for St Patrick’s Day 2024 will be “Ireland’s Future in the World”, which will focus on young Irish people, and our diaspora, and their perspectives about the world of the future and Ireland’s place in it. It will highlight the impact and achievements of young Irish and diaspora leaders across the fields of innovation, creativity, community development, business, and academia around the world.
Ministers will emphasise Ireland’s commitment to international peace and security and the rules-based multilateral system, especially at this time of conflict and turbulence. Other key messages will include the strength of Ireland’s economy, our active membership of the European Union, our commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement, and the high priority we attach to climate action and sustainability.
Programmes undertaken by Ministers will strengthen our links with the diaspora and business leaders.
| St Patrick’s Day 2024 Ministerial Plans | ||
| Taoiseach | Leo Varadkar | United States – Washington & Boston |
| Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister for Defence | Micheál Martin | Canada – Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto |
| Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications; Minister for Transport | Eamon Ryan | Brazil |
| Minister for Finance
|
Michael McGrath | China |
| Minister for Public Expenditure and National Development Plan Delivery and Reform | Paschal Donohoe | France, Bulgaria |
| Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment | Simon Coveney | India, Bangladesh |
| Minister for Education
|
Norma Foley | UK – Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, London |
| Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media | Catherine Martin | United States – Nashville, Austin |
| Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage | Darragh O’Brien | South Africa, Zambia |
| Minister for Social Protection; Minister for Rural and Community Development | Heather Humphreys | United States – Springfield, Chicago & Madison |
| Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine | Charlie McConalogue | Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan |
| Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth | Roderic O’Gorman | Japan – Tokyo, Osaka |
| Minister for Health
|
Stephen Donnelly | Australia – Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science | Simon Harris | UK – London |
| Minister for Justice | Helen McEntee | United States – New York |
| Chief Whip & MOS D/Taoiseach, D/Health – Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy | Hildegarde Naughton | Singapore |
| MOS D/Taoiseach & Foreign Affairs – EU Affairs and the Department of Defence | Peter Burke | United States – Atlanta & Savannah |
| MOS Foreign Affairs – International Development & Diaspora | Seán Fleming | Nigeria, Ghana |
| MOS DPENDR and TCAGSM – OPW and the Gaeltacht | Patrick O’Donovan | United States – St Louis & Kansas City |
| MOS DPENDR & DECC – Public Procurement and eGovernment; Communications and Circular Economy | Ossian Smyth | Korea |
| MOS D/Education – Special Education & Inclusion | Josepha Madigan | Switzerland |
| MOS DFHERIS – Skills and Further Education | Niall Collins | United States – Cleveland, Pittsburgh |
| MOS D/Transport & D/Environment, Climate and Communications – International and Road Transport and Logistics; Postal Policy | Jack Chambers | New Zealand – Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland |
| MOS D/Agriculture, Food and the Marine – Land Use and Biodiversity | Senator Pippa Hackett | Finland, Estonia and Latvia |
| MOS D/ Agriculture, Food and the Marine – R&D, Farm Safety and New Market Development | Martin Heydon | Germany |
| MOS D/Health & D/ Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth – Disability | Anne Rabbitte | Sweden, Denmark |
| MOS D/Enterprise, Trade and Employment & D/SP – Business, Employment and Retail | Neale Richmond | Croatia, Slovenia |
| MOS D/Rural and Community Development, D/SP, D/Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth – Community Development and Charities; Integration | Joe O’Brien | The Netherlands, Belgium |
| MOS D/Housing, Local Government and Heritage – Local Government and Planning | Kieran O’Donnell | Slovakia, Austria, Czechia |
| MOS D/ Housing, Local Government and Heritage – Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform | Malcolm Noonan | Poland, Romania |
| MOS D/Enterprise, Trade & Employment – Trade Promotion & Digital Transformation | Dara Calleary | Peru, Chile and Argentina |
| MOS D/TCAGSM, D/Education – Sport and Physical Education | Thomas Byrne | United States – Phoenix, Los Angeles |
| MOS D/Finance – Financial Services, Credit Unions and Insurance | Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill | United States – Miami
Costa Rica and Mexico |
| MOS D/Justice – International Law, Law Reform & Youth Justice | James Browne | Vietnam |
| MOS D/Health – Mental Health and Older People | Mary Butler | Cyprus, Italy, Holy See |
| Ceann Comhairle | Seán Ó Fearghaíl | Spain, Portugal |
| Cathaoirleach | Jerry Buttimer | United States – San Francisco & Seattle |
| Attorney General | Rossa Fanning | United States – Washington and Boston |
