The government has announced details of the largest St Patrick's Day travel programme since it came to office.

28 of Ireland’s 30 ministers will be travelling abroad, with many leading trade missions to encourage foreign investment in Ireland.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will lead the programme, travelling to New York, Boston and Washington DC while Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin heads for China.

The programme marks the first time that ministers will have travelled to Vietnam or Mexico, and the first time in four years that one will go to Russia.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Junior Finance Minister Brian Hayes are the only members of Government not travelling abroad this St. Patrick's day.

Who is going where:

Taoiseach Enda Kenny - New York, Boston and Washington DC

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore - France

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan - Canada

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin - China

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton - Italy

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton - New York

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan - San Francisco

Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte - London and Birmingham

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan - United Arab Emirates

Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence Alan Shatter - Mexico

Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food Simon Coveney - New Zealand and Eastern Australia

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald - Japan and Korea

Minister for Health James Reilly - Boston and Cleveland

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar - Atlanta and Savannah

Attorney General Máire Whelan SC - Washington DC

Minister of State at the Department of The Taoiseach & Defence Paul Kehoe - Lebanon

Minister of State, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government Jan O’Sullivan - Scotland

Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Dinny McGinley - Pittsburgh and Philadelphia

Minister of State for Small Business John Perry - Spain

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring - Netherlands

Minister of State, Department of Health and Department of Justice, Equality & Defence Kathleen Lynch - Vietnam

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources and Environment, Community & Local Government Fergus O’Dowd - Germany

Minister of State, Department of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and Department of Education & Skills Sean Sherlock - Chicago and Kansas City

Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon - Romania

Minister of State Alan Kelly - Western Australia

Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport Alex White - Russia

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine Tom Hayes - Norway

Minister of State for European Affairs Paschal Donohoe - Belgium and Luxembourg