Junior Minister Sean Fleming and his private secretary flew business class to Brazil for St Patrick’s Day, with the total bill for all their flights costing over €9,000.
The Irish Mirror revealed last month that of eight ministers who flew business class for Paddy’s Day trips, four were junior ministers. In three of the cases, the senior cabinet minister in their department flew in economy class.
Mr Fleming flew business despite other senior government ministers and aides flying economy further for the annual Paddy’s Day jamborees. Arts Minister Catherine Martin, the senior minister in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and her delegation flew economy class to California, where she visited Los Angeles and San Diego.
