GOVERNMENTministers and ministers of state will burn the equivalent of four times the average Irish household's carbon footprint on flights abroad for St Patrick's Day.

The Sunday Tribune has calculated that government representatives will fly over 300,000 miles this week, emitting almost 55 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Ironically, they have been told to highlight the global threat of climate change at various St Patrick's Day functions in destinations from Birmingham to Buenos Aires.

The 54.58 tonnes of carbon dioxide created by the ministers' showcasing trips will cause the same damage to the environment as driving a family car around the world nine times.

Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe has criticised the ministers and said: "The least they could do is to offset the carbon emissions for their air travel. While that might be seen as a token gesture, it would at least send the right message out that climate change is a serious issue. The Norwegian government is already doing this and perhaps we should follow their lead.

"I take a fairly jaundiced view of this huge amount of air travel around St Patrick's Day. I am not entirely sure that selling Ireland abroad needs a minister or junior minister at every parade from Minneapolis to Moscow."

Neither Fianna F�il nor the PDs would comment when contacted by the Sunday Tribune.

Cuffe also pointed out that the carbon dioxide emitted as the government ministers take to the skies this week would keep a low-energy bulb going for 1.5 million years.

These figures emerge just weeks after the government launched a high-profile campaign called the Power of One.

The campaign was set up to encourage people to take personal action to reduce their carbon footprint.

Cork Fianna F�il TD Michael Ahern's trip to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore will cause most harm to the environment as his flights will emit 4.031 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Fianna F�il junior minister John Browne comes a close second, with his trip to Hong Kong, Shenyang, Shanghai and Beijing creating 3.34 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Cavan TD Brendan Smith's short trip to Manchester will cause the least damage to the environment as the carbon emissions from his flight will amount to just 0.09 tonnes.

However, it appears that Fianna F�il ministers Miche�l Martin and Willie O'Dea will contribute least to global warming this week as they have no foreign engagements planned for the national festival.

Figures on ministerial air travel released last month revealed that the 15 members of the Cabinet produced more than 900 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions from travel alone last year.

OUR GAS-GUZZLING CABINET'S ROUND-THE-WORLD TRIPS Michael Ahern (Kuala Lumpur & Singapore) 22,399kms (4.031820) Rory Brady (Buenos Aires) 21,900kms (3.942) Batt O'Keefe (Ho Chi Minh City & Hanoi 21,032kms (3.78576) Tom Parlon (Pretoria & Cape Town) 19,910kms (3.5858) Tim O'Malley (Tokyo & Osaka) 19,204kms (3.45672) John Browne (Hong Kong, Shenyang, Shanghai, Beijing) 18,608kms (3.34944) Martin Cullen (San Francisco) 16,394kms (2.95 tonnes) Eamon O Cuiv (Phoenix) 16,058kms (2.89) Frank Fahey (Delhi & Mumbai) 15,234kms (2.74212) Noel Dempsey (Dallas & Houston) 14,376kms (2.587) Pat the Cope Gallagher (Philadelphia & Atlanta) 12,658kms (2.278) Michael McDowell (Savannah) 12,504kms (2.25) Brian Cowen (Chicago ) 11,820kms (2.1276) Bertie Ahern (New York and Washington) 10,907 kms (1.96632 ) Dermot Ahern (Washington) 10,906kms (1.96308) Dick Roche (Toronto) 10,522kms (1.89396) Mary Coughlan (New York) 10,252kms (1.84536) Mary Hana"n (Boston) 9,640kms (1.735) Se�n Haughey (Moscow) 5,600kms (1.008) Noel Ahern (Bucharest) 5,106kms (0.91908) S�amus Brennan (Rome) 3,806kms (0.68508) Tom Kitt (Warsaw) 3,652kms (0.657392) Mary Wallace (Vienna) 3,374kms (0.60732) Mary Harney (Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen) 3,017kms (0.54306) Brian Lenihan (Paris) 1,574kms (0.28332) John O'Donoghue (London) 938kms (0.16884) Conor Lenihan (Edinburgh) 686kms (0.12348) Se�n Power (Birmingham) 624kms (0.11232) Brendan Smith (Manchester) 534kms (0.09612) TOTAL KM: 30,3235 Tonnes: 54.583992