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Link with Argentine diaspora, says Fine Gael TD

By Noreen Bowden | August 21, 2008

Fine Gael Foreign Affairs spokesperson Billy Timmins is suggesting that the Irish government should take a more pro-active approach in developing links with the diaspora – and says that setting up a pilot project with Argentina’s half-million strong Irish community is the way to start.

The TD says in a press release:

“At present the Department of Foreign Affairs operates a dedicated unit that aims to maintain and strengthen links with Irish communities living abroad. However, I believe this brief should be expanded to include the establishment of links with people of Irish extraction.

“Rather than attempt to contact the entire Irish Diaspora, the Department should target one country — say, Argentina, which has an Irish diaspora of more than half a million — as a pilot project. There is already superb contact with citizens of Irish extraction in countries such as the United States and UK but links with other nations are often less than ideal. Argentina would act as a superb country due to large number of Irish diaspora and existing links with Ireland.

“A dedicated part of the Department of Foreign Affairs website could invite people of Irish descent living in Argentina to submit details of their ancestors including the part of Ireland where their family came from.

“Compilation of such a database could encourage the Irish Diaspora to establish internet links with a range of Irish websites that deal with areas such as tourism, genealogy and trade.

“The benefits would cut both ways. Other countries such as Italy and Japan take a much more proactive approach to their diaspora, and we should do likewise.”

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