Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I also want to amplify the cultural links because it is a very important point that we have not really exploited. As I said in my initial remarks, we have not had much focus on Latin America. Our links with that part of the world are deep. I met a Ricardo Howlin, who spoke only Spanish, at a reception in Buenos Aires. My name is almost exclusively from Wexford. The few stray Howlins are all linked to Wexford. It was strange to meet an entire family who had left Wexford in the 19th century and they really want a link. Similarly, in the centre of Mexico city the column that celebrates Mexican independence and the most important people who contributed to that, features a Wexford person, William Lamport, also known as Zorro, by the way. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of Mexico. There is now a mural to him in Wexford. They are the sort of real cultural links that we have not properly exploited that I think we should forge.

I want to see if I understand this correctly. I was interested in the observation that the Minister of State made regarding the fact that the diplomatic links we have with some of the Caribbean nations are from New York. They are not Latin American links. It seems discordant with our new view that we would have our diplomatic contacts based in New York as opposed to another Latin American country. Does the Minister of State have a view on that? Are there any thought processes going on in the Department on that?