Louth County Council St Patrick's Day trip to USA to resume

Louth County Council intends to resume its annual trip to the USA for St Patrick's Day this year, with plans for officials from the Council to visit New York in 2022.

The matter was raised by Cllr Paddy McQuillan at the Louth County Council February meeting, who asked if the Council was planning on sending officials abroad this year for St Patrick's Day. Cllr McQuillan asked if it was the case that Louth County Council official would be travelling, then who would be travelling, what would the cost be, where would the officials be going and what is the purpose of the visit, as well as asking if there was an agenda for the trip.

Chief Executive Joan Martin confirmed that the Council was proposing to resume the annual visit, with a trip to New York at the invitaiton of the Louth Men in New York, to meet with them and attend the St Patrick's Day parade.

Ms Martin told the meeting that the annual visit to the USA was always set around an agenda of meetings with, particularly the IDA's office in New York, “which is of huge importance because any foreign direct investment that comes into Ireland from the US starts with the IDA staff in America”, she commented.

The Louth Chief Executive said that keeping Louth to the fore in terms of all that the county has to offer, including its position on the Dublin-Belfast corridor and all the advantages that goes with it, “keeping all of that in the minds of staff in the IDA is very important.”

She added that getting to meet New York staff and the American based staff that they would normally not meet is a very useful opportunity and it is very similar to what all councils would do. Ms Martin said that she did not believe that there are any details of the trip organised yet, or what the cost would be.

She added however that “I think it's a very important visit.” She continued by adding that very often what swings a foreign direct investment in favour of Ireland can be a very simple thing around connections and networks.

“It's just very hard to explain the benefits that comes from these visits”, she said. “I consider these visits very important and I have always believed that the very small investment that is made in them is of huge value to the county and can be of immeasurable value.”

Cllr Maeve Yore told the meeting that “since 2014 I have objected to these junkets”. She added that she has asked for tangible evidence how they impact on or increase in tourism or job creation in Louth. “In my opinion”, she continued, “and in the public's opinion, they are junkets.”

She went on to say that she has asked that the trip be paid for themselves out of the Cathaoirleach's allowance. “At every opportunity, our CE highlights the lack of finance and budget”, she continued, mentioning the moratorium on public lights as an example. “I'm really annoyed. I want to know who is going, what will it cost the Louth taxpayer and I want a report,” Cllr Yore added. “There's no tangible benefits. It's a junket.”

Cllr Paula Butterly commented on the proposed trip, saying that in her experience having worked across Europe she has always noted the positive impact these trips have had with people or businesses coming over to represent their county or their country and they are always well received. “They can't be defined as junkets”, she added, “provided there is a small group and specific objectives and I would agree with what the CEO is saying, you can't always put your finger on it. They do have a positive benefit.”

Cllr Kevin Callan disagreed with Cllr Yore's comments saying that “it's very easy to use words like junket and a freebie and a trip”. Cllr Callan said that these trips are invaluable to County Louth and that “if a representative of Louth County Council is invited by the Louth representative group in that country or in that city, to say we're just going to sit at home and do nothing about it, is just a nonsense”.

He went on to mention the Irish ambassador to the UN in New York, who is about to become the Irish ambassador to Washington, and who has links to County Louth and connections with members of this council, and also the President of the United States with his local links.

“The word junket is great for the press, I get that.” He added that the trips are extremely important and he knew he dealt with the IDA that there are jobs in County Louth that were generated because of visits people from Louth made to the United States. “I just want to make clear Cathaoirleach, I wish you very well in the trip to New York, to push for County Louth and to meet the right people in the right places”, he added.

Cathaoirleach, Cllr Pio Smith, told the meeting that when he was Mayor of Drogheda in 2018, he was at the opening of payments firm, Yapstone, in Drogheda. Tom Villante from Yapstone, he said, mentioned at the time, that Cllr Callan and others had gone to America previous to that and started laying down the groundwork in relation to bringing Yapstone to Drogheda.

“So I'm quite sure there are plenty of trips that are junkets and I'm sure there are plenty of trips that aren't and they result in very positive effects for the county and for the towns”, Cllr Smith concluded.