6 minute read
Isteach Sa Teach
BY LLOYD GORMAN
COULD PERTH GET A FULL CONSULATE?
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The idea of beefing up Ireland’s diplomatic representation in Perth was raised – and not entirely ruled out – in the Dail (Irish parliament) during a debate of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defences back in early November 2021. Amongst the points and issues he raised, former foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan asked a question about Australia to the current minister for foreign affairs Simon Coveney. “Our relationship with Australia is good and has been for many decades,” said Mr Flanagan, a Fianna Fail Teachta Dála (TD) (MP) for Laois-Offaly, who also chairs the committee. “That will continue but, having regard to our diaspora in Western Australia and the economic relationship between Ireland and Western Australia, will consideration be given towards the establishment of a consulate in Perth?.” Mr Coveney – a Fine Gael TD for Cork South-Central – was able to add a personal note to his response. “Regarding Australia, I am familiar with the Irish diaspora in Perth,” Mr Conveney said. “One of them is my brother. He is a doctor there, like many other young Irish people and their families. The Department is assessing where the next phase of expansion will go. We have opened many new representations in the last years, from Chile to Colombia, from Toronto to Auckland, with a range in the United States, Manchester, Cardiff, Frankfurt, Lyon, Kyiv, Rabat and Liberia. It is a long list. We are trying to finalise the next phase of areas where we think enhancing
Ireland’s footprint makes sense politically, economically and with regard to the diaspora. We need to think about Western Australia. I do not want to pre-announce anything. A recommendation will come to me and we will take it from there. It might be interesting to come back to the committee and get members’ views on those choices. I would certainly welcome a broadening of perspective.” It will be interesting to see what recommendations do come back for consideration. About twelve months earlier another question was raised about building up the Irish government’s presence Simon Coveney (left) in Perth through one of its state agencies. Catherine Murphy, a Socialist TD for North Kildare, asked if Enterprise Ireland had plans to open a new office in Perth, WA. Tánaiste (Deputy PM) Leo Varadkar, who was also the minister for enterprise, trade and employment, said that idea had already been tried. “Enterprise Ireland (EI) has two physical Charlie Flanagan presences in Australia. The agency’s headquarters is located
Above: The Citizen’s Assembly video conference attendees
in Sydney, with a secondary office in Melbourne,” said Mr Varadkar. “The EI Melbourne office opened in March 2019. Collectively, the agency has eight staff located across these two offices. Enterprise Ireland’s Market Advisors in Sydney and Melbourne manage specific industry sectors for the entirety of Australia and Catherine Murphy New Zealand. There are no current plans to open an office in Perth. Enterprise Ireland previously had an office in Perth from June 2014-March 2016. This office was closed due to a lack of client activity. Enterprise Ireland will continue to work with clients and network locally to adapt to customer demand.” During an unrelated debate back in June last year, it emerged that Ireland has about 90 honorary consulates – including Marty Kavanagh in Perth. Some of them are in countries where Ireland does not have an Leo Varadkar embassy while others are in cities where the government goes not have consulates. “It is hard to overstate the role they play in helping us repatriate our citizens,” Niall Burgess (Secretary General, Department of Foreign Affairs) told the Committee of Public Accounts in June 2021, specifically mentioning the consul in Perth. It emerged during the discussion that the ‘honorary consuls’ get a stipend of between €1,000 or €2,000 for their troubles.
CITIZENS SPEAK, POLLIES LISTEN
Three members of the Constitutional Convention of Ireland – commonly called the Citizens’ Assembly – on Gender Equality gave evidence by videolink for an hour in early November to the Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives which is holding an inquiry into constitutional reform and referendums. The Irish speakers to the Canberra body were Dr Catherine Day and Dr Mary Clare, chair and secretary of the Assembly and Art O’Leary. “As former secretary to the constitutional convention, it was a very interesting experience, because this had never been done before in this country,” Mr O’Leary said. “Following the election in 2011, the Program for Government decided to establish a constitutional convention to look at issues which it wasn’t possible to reach political agreement on, or issues which the government felt merited further consideration. “It happened to be that the constitution was 75 years old at the time as well, so it probably merited a review at that point. It
was actually 10 years ago this month that I started work on the constitutional convention, and it still surprises me that I’m still talking about it. There is worldwide interest in the Irish experience, because it does appear as if Ireland’s success in conducting these forums, which provide a safe and respectful environment in which people can have a conversation about sometimes divisive issues, has been interesting to other countries who are in a similar position.”
GOOD LUCK TRYING TO GET WORKERS OUT HERE
Another part of the House of Reps rolled into WA late last year. The Select Committee on Regional Australia set up camp at Katanning to hear the experience of the local community as part of its ‘Inquiry into Regional Australia’. A chronic shortage of people willing or able to work on farms and in the agricultural sector was a major problem. A scheme to try and encourage Australians to get out of cities and urban centres and into the country to pitch in, had failed to make a dent. The scheme, which offered $6,000 by the federal government – with the same amount again from the state government – attracted less than 500 people, when thousands were sorely needed. Covid and red tape had also made it very tricky to get and keep overseas workers, it emerged. “I had a couple of Irish guys who’d been here for a couple of seedings and harvests, and they were really good experienced farm workers,” Michael Fels, Grains President, WA Farmers told the committee. “We went through the 482 visa process. I think we spent about $10,000 on all our visas, which is all non-refundable, and if they don’t get their visa, then it’s just tough luck. One of them got his visa, and the other didn’t. They were best mates. So the one who got his visa came out last year. He stuck around for six months, but, because his mate wasn’t here, he ended up going back again. I spent all that money and went through that process, not recruiting other people in that time, and I still ended up with no-one. The reason his mate didn’t get accepted is that a farm machine operator is not considered a skills shortage on the ANZSCO list.” But there was at least one Irish man who did hang around and make a life for himself in the region, the Committee was told. “Like you, Chair [Tony Pasin], my grandfather came out here in the 1920s after World War I, from Ireland, as a 10-pound Pom working on farms near where Rick’s family farms are,” said Alan McFarland, from the Katanning Regional Business Association. ☘
Musical Entertainer / Teacher
David MacConnell
A chronic shortage of people willing or able to work on farms and in the agricultural sector is a major problem in regional Australia Photo: Dean Sewell/smh.com.au
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