It’s common knowledge that big international journeys can quickly go awry for heads of states. Combining travel exhaustion with early wake-ups, late nights, hectic schedules, and relentless press often results in blunders, mistakes and spontaneous outbursts.
Recall the time Leo Varadkar had to formally apologise for sharing, at an American function, his personal story of interning in the United States during a time parents were apprehensive of internships in Washington. Or when Enda Kenny scolded a Canadian journalist for questioning him about an election date, leaving Justin Trudeau at a loss.
This week, Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin, Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan and President Michael D Higgins embarked on a journey to New York to attend a general assembly of the United Nations, attended by the world’s top leaders.
Tánaiste criticises the ‘ridiculous’ £1.4m expense of securing Government Buildings. Press Up shuts down three Wagamama outlets in Dublin. The board of the National children’s hospital tells politicians it’s been made a ‘hostage’ in the €2.2bn controversy. First-time buyers unable to purchase apartments due to faults, become targets for overseas cash buyers.
As reporters gathered for the first formal event of the journey – a Sunday press conference with Higgins – it appeared as though Harris was already in trouble. In one interview, he suggested a correlation between the rise in homelessness and increased immigration, sparking outrage from the Opposition and worry within the Government on how much of a problem this could turn out to be on the trip.
Higgins intervened, denying that the housing crisis was due to immigration issues. Controversy, however, arose from comments made at the conclusion of his press conference, where he suggested the Israeli embassy might have intercepted his letter to Iran’s new president and leaked it. When questioned how this could have happened, he responded with “I have no idea”.
In a striking news conference marked by extreme tension, he firmly denied ever uttering the term “leaked” while simultaneously expressing zero remorse, despite numerous attempts to repress inquiries on the matter. As this scene unfolded, the attentive gaze of departmental personnel betrayed their thinly veiled concern as the President consistently engaged in confrontations with the press.
In the meantime, the Taoiseach ploughed through an astonishing roster of back-to-back one-on-one discussions, group meetings, several press briefings, luncheons and formal dinners. Although experiencing the effects of jet lag, his only insignificant mistake was prematurely divulging the date of his unexpected US visit in October, a detail that officials had been staunchly withholding until that point.
Drawing the week to a close, he engaged in a dialogue with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, followed by a stopover at the Irish Centre in New York. Coinciding with this, further humanitarian aid for both Sudan and Lebanon was declared by the Tánaiste. With the week over, both are due back in Ireland in the early morning hours of this Thursday, diving headfirst into cabinet and budget discussions as the political spotlight shifts to the upcoming periods.