Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has plans to establish links with the Irish community in Argentina; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10342/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Maintaining and strengthening links with Irish communities abroad is a key priority of my Department. Our Embassies and Consular Offices work dedicatedly to promote all Irish interests. A central part of this is attending to the concerns and interests of our communities overseas. In their representational and promotional outreach, our Missions work directly with Irish communities across a wide range of issues, including cultural, heritage, educational, commercial and consular. The Irish-Argentine community, estimated to number in the region of half a million people, is the largest community of Irish descent outside of the English-speaking world. Its members have maintained a strong pride in their Irish identity, a great interest in Ireland, and strong support for Irish-Argentine community networks.

Longstanding close bilateral ties have characterised relations between Ireland and Argentina since reciprocal resident embassies were opened in Dublin and Buenos Aires in 1948. In recent years, thanks to the considerable increase in funding made available to the Irish Abroad Unit in my Department, the Government has been able to offer financial support to Irish-Argentine associations. The number of high level visits from Ireland to Argentina has also risen significantly in recent years. In 2004, the President paid a State visit to Argentina, as did her predecessor in 1995. In 2001, the Taoiseach paid an official visit to Argentina. Cabinet-level visits for the celebration of St. Patrick's Day with our community there have been made in each of the past three years.

Over the St. Patrick's Day period this year, I will be visiting Argentina myself, where I will attend a wide-ranging programme of events organised by the Irish-Argentine community. I will also have official discussions with my Argentine counterpart. Through the Embassy and the Irish Abroad Unit, the Government is strongly committed to maintaining and developing the well established relations between Ireland and our community in Argentina.