A Class apart

Junior ministers jet off in business seats for Paddy's Day trips while their department seniors travel in economy

- LOUISE BURNE

A NUMBER of junior ministers flew business class on their St Patrick's Day trips while their senior ministers flew economy, the Irish Mirror has learned.

Of the eight ministers who flew business class, four were Ministers of State.

In three of these cases, the senior cabinet minister in their department flew in economy class.

As part of this year's St Patrick's Day trips abroad, the Government sent 36 representatives to 74 cities in 44 countries.

The Irish Mirror contacted all Government departments to inquire whether their ministers and their delegations travelled business class.

All departments responded except for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's Department of the Taoiseach and Tanaiste Micheal Martin's Department of Foreign Affairs.