Senator Jerry Buttimer Senator Jerry Buttimer
  • Home
    • About Jerry
    • Jerry’s Career
  • News
    • Agriculture, Food and the Marine
    • Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
    • Children and Youth Affairs
    • Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
    • Cork
    • Defence
    • Environment, Community and Local Government
    • Finance & Public Expenditure
    • Education and Skills
    • Foreign Affairs and Trade
    • Health
    • Justice and Equality
    • Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
    • Transport, Tourism and Sport
    • Social Protection
  • National Issues
    • Creating Jobs
    • Health Policy
    • Tourism
    • Equality and Social Justice
    • Crime and Justice
  • Local Issues
    • Investing in Cork
    • New Cork Hospital
    • Cork Airport
    • Merger of Cork City and County
  • In the Dáil
    • Committee Work
    • Debates
    • Parliamentary Questions
  • Contact
  • Covid 19 – Resource Artwork & Information

Parliamentary Question: St. Patrick’s Day visit to Boston

Home / News / Environment, Community and Local Government / Parliamentary Question: St. Patrick’s Day visit to Boston
1st May 201322nd January 2016
By admin_exsiteIn Environment, Community and Local Government
0

Question to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. Phil Hogan, TD)

To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will report on his visit to Boston; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

For ORAL answer on Wednesday, 1st May, 2013.

REPLY

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (Mr. P. Hogan)

I attended the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Boston, Massachusetts and Rhode Island from March 13 to 18 as part of the Government’s Promote Ireland programme . I carried out over twenty separate engagements over the five days, meeting with many of the key contacts in the political , business and local community. The emphasis was on helping to promote trade, tourism and investment-related activity with Ireland and meeting with members of the Irish community abroad .

In particular , I had substantive meetings with the Massachusetts Senate President and State Treasurer, and the Mayors of Boston and Newport , and I met with five members of Congress . I also met with a significant number of Irish companies working in the Boston area as well as all three local organisations who receive support through the   Emigrant Support Programme promoted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade .

I attended a lunch hosted by Enterprise Ireland attended by 20 Irish companies who are operating in the Boston area   – many being small high tech businesses providing niche services to the significant number of US multi nationals in the area. I was invited as a keynote speaker at a number of events including the ‘American Irish Partnership’ where I emphasised the Government’s key economic messages and promoted The Gathering .

The table below outlines some of the highlights of the itinerary:

Date

Event

Thursday 14 March

Breakfast with representatives of an Irish Property Company to discuss promotion of recovering Irish p roperty market to US investors

 

Visit and tour of Boston College

 

Enterprise Ireland lunch with 20 Irish Companies operating in the Boston area.

 

Attend Massachusetts State Senate ceremony hosted by Senate President, Therese Murray.

 

Meeting with US company interested in business opportunities in Ireland

 

Evening reception hosted by the ‘American Ireland Fund’

Friday 15 March

Speech at ‘American Irish Partnership’ St Patrick’s Day breakfast.

 

Visit to ‘Irish Immigration Center’

 

Speech at the Annual Order of Hibernians lunch in Lawerence

 

Visit to Lowell to meet with contacts from the University’s ‘Centre for Irish Studies’, the City Council and the Irish Community.

 

Attend Irish Consulate’s reception at Boston Federal Courthouse

Saturday 16 March

Breakfast meeting with Mayor and local dignitaries at Newport City Hall, Rhode Island and attended Parade in the City

 

Visit to Irish Cultural Center in Canton

 

Met with dignitaries attending the West Roxbury Irish Social Club St. Patrick’s Day dinner.

 

Attended the annual St Patrick’s Dinner in Boston

Sunday 17 March

Presented the ’Ambassador’s Medal’ at a breakfast function in Holyoke, Western Massachusetts.

 

Marched in St Patrick’s day parade

 

Speech at 276 th anniversary dinner of the ‘Charitable Irish Society’

Monday 18 March

Meeting with Irish Pastoral Centre

 

Parliamentary Question: Minister of State’s St. Patrick’s Day visit to Saudi ArabiaParliamentary Question: Minister’s St Patrick’s Day visit to New York & Pittsburgh

Campaign

  • About Jerry
  • National Issues
  • Local Issues
  • News
  • Jerry's Facebook
Politics © 2015 | All Rights Reserved | Powered by exSite