The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, is set to travel to San Francisco as part of the government's St. Patrick’s Day programme for 2026.

This year will also see the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, ministers and various government representatives travel to more than 50 countries to "promote Ireland, Irish values and Ireland’s interests" as part of the global programme.

This year the government has outlined that it wants Ireland's participation in St. Patrick's Day celebrations around the world to "place a stronger emphasis on trade and investment".

While Minister Heydon will head to the US, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) with special responsibility for Forestry, Farm Safety and Horticulture, Michael Healy-Rae, is off to Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Meanwhile the Minister of State at DAFM with responsibility for Food Promotion, New Markets, Research and Development, Noel Grealish will travel to New Zealand.

St. Patrick's Day

According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, St. Patrick’s Day "provides an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Ireland on the global stage".

"It will reflect our economic success, built on openness and strong partnerships, and Ireland’s long-standing commitment to multilateralism," she added.

Ministers have been told to focus on promoting "trade, investment, tourism, and international research and education partnerships in priority locations" this year.

Ahead of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of the year, ministers travelling within Europe will "engage with counterparts" on preparations for the Irish presidency and "underline the importance the government places on shaping EU policy and decision-making".

United States

The Taoiseach will travel to Washington and Philadelphia while the Tánaiste will be in Paris and London as part of the St. Patrick’s Day programme this year.

The former minister for agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, is heading to Thailand and Vietnam as part of the 2026 programme while the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien is travelling to Brazil.