I had the privilege of serving for a period as Minister for Tourism and Trade. I recognise the value for this country of Ministers travelling abroad where focused visits are based on investment and tourism for the country.

Ask Deputy O'Dowd.

Why not ask Fergus's brother?

I am concerned, however, at the scale of what is beginning to happen. Today, there are 19——

Do us a favour.

The Deputy should practice what he preaches.

The Deputies can laugh if they want.

Deputy Kenny, without interruption.

There are 19 Ministers and Ministers of State absent today and 26 will be absent tomorrow. When I look at the calendar, 17 March is St. Patrick's Day — it has never changed. From that point of view, it seems that, to some extent, these visits have gone beyond a direct focus on contacts for Ireland or interest in investment, tourism and developing our links with our diaspora and other countries.

The House is not sitting next week. I understood this was to facilitate Ministers who would be abroad doing their duty for Ireland. I heard some of the comments this morning with regard to costs associated with ministerial visits last year. I suppose some of those are questionable, particularly those regarding accommodation and limousine costs. I understood the Department of the Taoiseach co-ordinates these visits. Did the Taoiseach sit down with his officials and plan these visits abroad by 26 Ministers and Ministers of State? Given the scale of visits both before and after St. Patrick's Day, was an analysis carried out of the value of what Ireland and its people are actually getting from the plethora of journeys abroad?

As has been the case for a long time, St. Patrick's Day and the period around it will involve a large number of events and functions, with many taking place in the period from Friday to Tuesday in different parts of the world. As well as being our national day, it provides a framework to showcase modern Ireland all over the world. Successive Governments have done this successfully for many years and it is used unashamedly by us as a marketing opportunity.

St. Patrick's Day offers an excellent opportunity to highlight to a global audience, in a way that cannot happen at any other time of the year, the advantages of doing business in this country and also to promote the country as a world class tourist destination, which helps us to attract inward investment. There are also the historical developments in recent years in the peace process and on other issues. While these issues move on, it has given us a chance to change how the country is perceived. It was seen as a country that was always in the news because of trouble and violence — the last atrocity or the next fear — but that has moved on. The message of hope, partnership, prosperity and confidence from a rising generation has changed that and we can now show that we have a stable environment. In recent years the economic horizons have expanded, which has allowed us to look at things in a different way.

Deputy Kenny's question was a fair one. In deciding ministerial travel commitments, it is not my Department which co-ordinates but the Department of Foreign Affairs — it has been the same system for decades. The opportunities are considered and Enterprise Ireland is involved from the perspective of tourism, the promotion of trade and finding where the opportunities lie for business in key economic markets, as well as raising awareness of the potential of growth in our economic relations with emerging markets. Trade between Ireland and the countries which Government representatives will visit this St. Patrick's day is valued at in excess of €165 billion at 2006 rates — I do not have the figures for 2007.

The St. Patrick's Day brand unquestionably provides us with a unique global market opportunity which is the envy of many countries. Deputy Kenny and all in the House know that many other countries look to the access we get——

Hear, hear.

——not just myself but all the Ministers, Ministers of State and others who travel over the St. Patrick's Day period. It gives us a focus in capitals and destination all over the world and gives us access around St. Patrick's Day to meet multinationals and tourism operators. We get a huge audience worldwide for this.

I understand that people would raise the issue of costs as costs are of course involved, but this must be seen in terms of what it would cost to run a marketing campaign. There is a marketing budget this year of €37 million, which is going towards the tourism campaign. However, if one considers what we will get in terms of television, radio and media exposure, as well as exposure to politicians and trade fairs and everything around that, it does the country an awful lot of good.

I agree there are few countries that have a day of their own. From that perspective it is always valuable to showcase our own country.

Os rud é go bhfuil muid i lár Seachtain na Gaeilge, déarfaidh mé seo as Gaeilge. Tá a fhios ag an Taoiseach go dtaispeánann an eachtra seo an easaontas atá ann idir an Rialtas agus na daoine ar an taobh seo. Tuige an bhfuil sé riachtanach go mbeadh comhairleoirí speisialta ag taisteal leis na hAirí, os rud é go bhfuil ambasáid againn sna tíortha seo thar lear? Why is it that a doctor puts up €36,000 of his own money today to hire a nurse for a hospital? Nach bhfuil sé fíor go bhfuil easpa €300 mhilliún i mbliana ag an HSE agus go bhfuil deacrachtaí ag baint le cúrsaí leighis i beagnach chuile ospidéal thar fud na tíre? Cosúil leis na ardaithe liúntais a fuair na hAirí féin, agus na costais a bhaineann leis na hAirí ag taisteal chuig na tíortha seo ar fad, taispeánann seo go bhfuil easaontas agus difríocht idir meon an Rialtais agus meon na ndaoine i dtaobh céard atá ag tarlú ar an talamh anseo.

Ní thaispeánann.

Tuigeann an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta céard atá á rá agam.

Agus tuigeann a lán daoine eile.