Minister Visits Chicago, St Louis Amid Controversy

Ireland's Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan spent four days in the US last week meeting student counsellors and promoting Irish universities.

But it was a controversial trip that was almost cancelled, because of a political row with the main opposition party, Fine Gael.

Traditionally, when Irish ministers travel abroad for important business, a member of opposition abstains from votes in parliament.

It means that members of the government can travel overseas without worrying that their absence will affect votes taken in the Dáil.

The arrangement is known as "pairing".

But Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny announced recently that his party would become less co-operative when it came to overseas trips.

And he made good on this promise when his party refused to "pair" for Tanaiste Mary Coughlan's US trip.

Ms Coughlan was due to answer questions in the Dáil on its first day back about controversies in the State training agency FÁS.

Fine Gael believed she was trying to avoid this.

But it proved a terrible political mis-step.

The government branded it "unpatriotic" to prevent a Minister from travelling abroad to promote Ireland as an education destination - a trip, they said, that could create new jobs.

And as the public mood changed, the Labour Party stepped in with an offer to "pair".

The move caused a serious rift between the two opposition parties, with Fine Gael furious that Labour would come to Fianna Fail's rescue.

But it showed Labour was a real alternative to Fine Gael for voters who want change at the next election, and allowed Minister Coughlan to fly Stateside.

Ms Coughlan had been due to fly to Boston before going to Chicago, but instead she flew directly to the Windy City on Tuesday, where she attended an American Ireland members' dinner.

On Wednesday she attended an Education Ireland breakfast for trade mission contacts and high school counsellors.

She travelled to St Louis on Thursday, where she attended viewed the Irish stand at an event organised by The National Association for College Admission Counselling.

She also had lunch with National Association of High School Scholars and their Irish partner higher institutes.

She also met with Irish consul Joe McGlynn and senior Irish American business leaders, before flying back to Ireland on Friday last.