The government has announced its travel plans for St Patrick's Day - with a severely scaled-back programme of ministerial trips.

Only ten of Ireland's 30 ministers will travel - compared to 27 who left our shores last year.

Enda Kenny will maintain the Taoiseach's annual tradition of visiting the US President - but his meeting with Barack Obama will be the focal point of what will now be a one-day visit for the caretaker Taoiseach.

Foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan will fill in for the Taoiseach on a second day of events, including a major annual gala dinner run by the American Ireland Fund.

Three other ministers - Heather Humphreys, Alan Kelly and chief whip Paul Kehoe - are also travelling to the USA, with four others staying within Europe, including Tánaiste Joan Burton who will visit Italy.

Frances Fitzgerald will visit the UK, Richard Bruton travels to France, and Paschal Donohoe heads for Spain.

Brendan Howlin gets the only long-haul journey outside the United States, with a visit to India.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says the travel programme will focus on trade, investment and tourism promotion.

Fine Gael ministers Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar had been slated for long-haul travel - but both will remain behind to oversee their party's attempts at forming a new coalition.

Given the political vacuum, two-thirds of our 30 ministers will be staying at home - including all of the ministers who lost their seats in the election two weeks ago.