Irish President Michael D. Higgins in Argentina
‘A president of all the Irish everywhere’
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner greets President Michael D. Higgins at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires
President Michael D. Higgins visiting Buenos Aires as part of his ABC (Argentina, Brazil, Chile) Irish tour, talks to the Buenos Aires Herald.
As the third Irish president to visit Argentina, welcome here. What is your impression on your second time to come here (after coming as Culture Minister in 1995) and what is the difference between coming as minister and as President of Ireland?
When I came here with President Mary Robinson in 1995, it was a very difficult time because then host president Carlos Menem’s son had just been killed so part of the hospitality of the visit was delegated to his brother.
I knew quite a bit about Argentina before that visit for many different reasons, especially concerning human rights. This morning (Ed. The Herald interviewed Higgins on October 13) we were honouring Patrick Rice and Rodolfo Walsh at the former ESMA Navy Mechanics School.
I knew both men. As a writer myself, I received a manuscript on one of the books on the killing of Rodolfo Walsh many years ago and I had seen that letter on the monument (Ed. Referring to the famous Open Letter to the Military Junta written in 1977) before. And I had met Patrick Rice, when giving a crash course to young Divine Word Missionary seminarians about to go abroad and much later in Central America. (Ambassador Wilfred Lennon and his secretary Justin Harmann’s work kept Patrick Rice alive during the “dirty war”).
What has changed since 1995 is the way the country has decided to deal with the events of the Proceso, a painful legacy, by pursuing the demands of the victims for restorative justice.
On the other hand, I think too in a way that what has changed is the warmth of the reception of the Argentine people, it was stronger than ever this time, I felt. Of course this time I went to two places we hadn’t gone last time: the Fahy Club and the Hurling Club, very good and warm. I was impressed to see all those families, all those Irish names listed there.
And how does your current role of Irish President (a head of state rather than government) differ from being Culture minister and what more can you tell us about your meeting with Argentina’s President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, aside from the joshing about soccer jerseys?
During my inauguration speech on November 11, 2011, I said I saw myself as the president of all the Irish people and all the generations wherever they may be. I intend to do everything I can to deepen these relationships, this being the purpose of my visiting Argentina, Brazil and Chile. I’ve been quite struck by the shared warmth and strength of the possibility of gathering. And that is also an operative word for why I’m here — we are expecting and very much looking forward to as many people with an interest in Ireland, those who support Ireland, who are from Ireland to come back next year for the Irish Gathering in 2013 (Ed.
When Ireland will be presiding the European Union in the first half) of the year). I’m also encouraging those Irish who may feel highly qualified but lack opportunities at home to consider South and Central America, where their skills are welcomed, where Irish people are respected. Our world has become smaller and we should use technology to deepen that relationship.
I had a very warm meeting, which lasted twice the scheduled time, with President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. It was a very interesting meeting. She said to me I was the first head of state that she had met who had opened the conversation with a discussion on human rights. It went on from that point to a very warm exchange of many matters in politics, economics, culture and so on. I was also impressed by my meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, a very strong, powerful and intellectual woman.
What role can the Irish Diaspora play in Ireland’s economic recovery and is the launch of the local chapter of the Irish Business Network an important step on this front?
A couple of things about the Irish Diaspora: it’s important not just to know that we have a scattering our population for quite some time but also to take it seriously by studying it and understanding it. Migration (especially to Britain and North America) has long been one of my research areas as an academic before becoming President. So when I was preparing to come here, I decided that I would give a paper on the Irish-Argentine relationship and this helps me set a context. When I speak, I accompany this by stressing that Irishness is not about where you live, it is about what is in your head, your heart and your consciousness. Then I speak as well about this new Irishness that we are seeking to create based on ethics and creativity. The Diaspora, the descendants, have as much to contribute as those who were born in Ireland. Twenty years ago I wrote a paper on the exile and the Irish — that is the reason why I refer sometimes to Jorge Luis Borges as well.
South America is very interesting for the connection with Ireland — some of the finest works on James Joyce have been done by South American writers. Borges had the view that the Irish had taken the English language of the 19th century and made it our own, changed it. That resulted in Nobel Prizes, four actually — a considerable amount for a small country. Borges’ advice was that South American writers should do the same with Spanish, and of course he was right.
But let me answer your question. The Business Irish Network that has been established here is very important. Here you have young people with good ideas meeting with Irish people who are in business. The mentoring of the younger is very positive. People in Ireland now have a very international perspective. Ireland is regarded as number one in some innovative areas — it is number three in relation to immunology, nutrients; number eight in material science. It is in the top 20 in scientific research. Over 1,000 of the best companies in the world have their research and development units established in Ireland as it faces the European Union. There are mixed benefits from closer relationship. Not only the cultural and moral ones, but also the practical, economic ones.
My suggestion to the Irish people is to play your Irish cards because they are important. Ireland has a different relationship with this whole continent than other countries which were colonizing powers. Ireland itself has had its own experience in achieving its independence. When I visited the United Nations peace-keeping forces, you see Irish soldiers together with Argentine soldiers. Actually, they are the top of the request list because of their reputation.
What would you like to say about the Irish community, both in general and in relation to the Irish language and sports?
If there were Irish sailors on the first Spanish voyages to the Americas, the Irish started coming to Argentina in flocks from 1830 on. In 1875 the Southern Cross was founded and the next year the Buenos Aires Herald, and I think at that stage the second wave of Irish started coming here, some of them to work in estancias.
There are many different Irish migrations and when I say it is part of my presidency, the intention is to try to understand as much as possible about the different circumstances in which they all came. First, there were letters asking for Irish-speaking priests to come and serve their needs. The connection continues through music and the interest in Irish dances. Then toward the end of the century you have the formation of the Gaelic League and the formation of the Interest in Irish games. Sports should be inclusive, then they went on to include hockey and rugby and they had great success.
I find it interesting that Irish immigrants came from two specific counties in the Midlands: Longford and Westmeath, and also some from the southeastern corner in Wexford County. Now these are very interesting migrants. People who went to the Unites States established themselves in the business sector. Then the people who left Ireland after the famine are deeply distressed people (about a third of them are Irish-speakers going into an English-speaking country). Quite separate from them are the Argentine migrants. They are in their second wave around this period; these are people who were able to pay their way, many coming from families in military service and dedicated to commerce.
I speak Irish and I spoke quite a bit of Irish in my speeches in these three countries to remind people that this is after all the ancient language of the Irish people.
As a Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht I established an Irish-language television station in 1994 — the Maori station in New Zealand is based on our station. But you also need space in the visual media. I see the Irish language as a language that is expanding. The number of people who speak the language for every aspect of their life every day is 90,000 approximately. I speak Irish but I am not a native speaker. I represented for 30 years an area that had the largest amount of Irish-speaking people (Connemara and the Aran Islands) and I used the Irish language to speak to my constituents and they spoke to me in Irish.
Toddler and baby killed on Galway road as car out of control crashes into pram
A toddler and a baby girl have been killed while out for a walk with their dad when a car crashed into their pushchair.
The tragic accident occurred on the N17 Dublin to Tuam road, about a mile from the Galway town, shortly after 1pm today.
The father was pushing the buggy along the hard shoulder of the straight stretch of road when a Toyota Avensis went out of control and crashed into the three of them.
The two children, one aged two years and the other just two months old, were pronounced dead shortly after arriving at University Hospital Galway.
Their father and the driver, who was the only occupant of the car, were also treated for injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
The road was sealed off and traffic diversions put in place.
Gardai in Tuam have appealed for any witnesses to the accident to come forward to help them piece together what happened.
The townspeople of Tuam were shocked and saddened as news of the terrible accident spread rapidly.
The family is understood to be local.
Electronic prescriptions from surgeries to pharmacies being developed in Irish health innovation hub
The Minister for Health Dr James Reilly in University College Cork yesterday to jointly launch the new Health Innovation Hub with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton.
An electronic prescription service that allows GPs to send prescriptions directly to pharmacies is one of range of products being developed as part of a new initiative linking healthcare companies with the health service.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton and Minister for Health James Reilly were at University College Cork (UCC) yesterday for the launch of the Health Innovation Hub project.
The aim of the UCC-based initiative is to assist healthcare companies by giving them access to the hospital system where they can test products in a “real-life environment”.
The project also provides a forum where those working in the health service can communicate with healthcare companies with a view to developing new products.
The six companies currently taking part in the project are Abtran, Arann, Helix Health, Radissens, Rigney Dolphin and Sláinte.
It is hoped that the initiative will lead to job creation in the healthcare sector.
Speaking yesterday Mr Bruton described the project as a “win-win” for enterprise and health.
“Through the Healthcare Innovation Hub the Government is supporting innovative Irish companies seeking to develop products.”
“The hub will facilitate these companies in gaining access to the health service to trial and test their products and services – and in this way allow them to bring them to market and ultimately create jobs more quickly,” he said.
“This is an excellent example of the Government co-operating across departments and agencies that have not traditionally had a jobs focus, and stepping in to provide support in new and innovative way to the companies who will create the jobs of the future,” he said.
Mr Reilly said he believed the collaboration between the health service and industry could lead to innovative ideas, which would result in savings and improved patient care.
Abtran, which employs over 1,000 people nationwide, is working on a GP referral system, while Arann is working with Cork University Hospital (CUH) to develop a mattress sterilisation product.
Helix Health is involved in creating an electronic prescription service, which will allow prescriptions to be sent automatically from GPs to pharmacies.
Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland, the HSE, Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and UCC are involved in the initiative.
Minister Richard Bruton’s trip to USA promoting Ireland to investing start-up companies
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton is today leading a five-day mission to the US to attract firms to invest and create jobs in Ireland.
Richard Bruton will target 20 world-leading and start-up companies in technology life-sciences and financial services along the west coast.
The IDA mission to Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego will focus particularly on the technology sector.
Mr Bruton said several multi nationals have performed well in Ireland in the last 18 months, with 12,000 jobs added.
“We must work hard to build on this performance, to attract more investments, to target more fast-growing emerging companies as well as global leaders, and to ensure that when these companies come to Ireland they provide even greater benefit to Ireland through supply chains and involvement in the local economy,” he added.
“I look forward to the intensive programme of meetings this week, to discussing these companies’ future plans and where Ireland can fit into them, and I hope that this can lead to investments and jobs for Ireland in the near future.”
Speaking on RTÉ radio, Mr Bruton said the key was in negotiating with companies who were either at an early stage of considering Ireland as a location, or with those who were already here and who might expand.
“It’s not just offering the tax regime or support with individual projects, it’s the whole business environment that we’ve created.”
The minister, along with IDA Ireland chief Barry O’Leary and other officials, will meet 15 technology companies and two health/life-sciences firms and businesses in the financial services, green technology and consumer products sectors.
They have a combined annual revenues of over 290 billion euro and employ more than 600,000 people worldwide.
Mr O’Leary said the foreign direct investment mission will involve meetings with some of the biggest companies in the world.
“We will be meeting with senior management to detail the unique advantages there are to running part of their businesses from Ireland,” he added, “Many of the companies we will meet have existing operations in Ireland — we will be discussing expansion opportunities with these clients.
“Our US-based IDA executives have also secured meetings with several high-growth companies.
“The high-growth sector is a key target for the IDA – we will be explaining the benefits that Ireland can offer them as a location from which to grow their business rapidly.”
The ICT sector currently employs approximately 100,000 people in Ireland.
Kenny can only blame himself for looking foolish in Brussels
Enda seems to be asking Angela ‘are you doing something for me Angie’
This week’s EU summit was a mess — even by the standards of previous summits — that has left everybody looking foolish.
Enda Kenny, Angela Merkel and the other leaders have all shown a terrifying lack of leadership which could have very serious long-term consequences for Europe’s economy and the entire European project.
Mr Kenny can only blame himself for his very public humiliation at the hands of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It has certainly been a long time coming and there were many warnings from Berlin to Dublin to tone down the rhetoric.
The Taoiseach is guilty of overselling the June summit by wilfully misinterpreting what was said. Despite his repeated assertions, that summit’s final communique did not promise to sort out Ireland’s problems or give any timetable for any possible agreement. All it contained was a vague promise to separate out bank debt from national debt.
While the Government could not be blamed for welcoming the June declaration, it was highly irresponsible to present it as the answer to our prayers.
Europe’s creditor countries tried several times to persuade the Government to stop the premature celebrations. Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s mild statement was blithely rejected by Mr Kenny forcing Mr Schaeuble and his Dutch and Finnish counterparts to issue a statement that made it perfectly clear that they had no intention of allowing the Taoiseach’s quixotic interpretation go unchallenged.
Even that declaration had little effect; effectively forcing Mrs Merkel to say yesterday that a deal on legacy debts won’t happen. Mr Kenny was left with egg all over his face.
The same can be said for Mrs Merkel and the other 25 EU leaders who have fiddled while Rome and Madrid’s economies burn. We are told that Spain’s problems were not even discussed at Thursday and Friday’s summit while Greece also didn’t get much of a look in. What were they talking about?
Even Thursday’s reheated deal on a timetable for a single banking regulator appeared to unravel yesterday as Mrs Merkel poured cold water over what little was agreed the previous day.
The summit also highlighted Britain’s increased isolation in Europe. These days, Britain objects to nearly everything Brussels stands for including the single banking regulator which Ireland desperately wants but which David Cameron fears will damage the City of London.
Finland’s Europe Minister Alexander Stubb complained this week that he believes Britain is drifting towards an exit. “I think Britain is right now, voluntarily … putting itself in the margins,” he said.
While the fractured relationship between Germany and Ireland presents an immediate danger to our economic future, Britain’s increasingly testy relationship with Brussels could pose the larger danger in the long term.
Cloud free Ireland look great from space
Thanks to the International Space Station, we got a really great shot of an almost cloud-free Ireland.
The International Space Station is well over a decade in existence and as a habitable, orbiting building it is truly one of the wonders of the modern world. As most of us are not nearly techy enough to understand what they do, it is only when they capture images like this that we get a sense of how amazing it is that there are people floating around up there above us.
Thankfully, they are taking snaps of us all the time and last night this image from the vesssel was tweeted which shows the old place not looking too bad. Next time we have a clear day we should all give them a wave, just in case.
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