Irish, NZ connection showcased

Jerry Buttimer was in New Zealand recently as part of an annual venture by the Irish government to send their ministers to over 40 countries with strong Irish connections, to be part of local St Patrick's Day celebrations. It is said that one in six New Zealanders are of Irish heritage.

While in NZ, Buttimer held talks with government ministers and officials, businesspeople and those associated with arts and culture. He also had special meetings with various Maori representatives and chaired a hui on Maori business.

Buttimer told Rural News that a big issue is how farmers and farming communities can maintain the quality of their produce and profitability in a fast-changing world.

"Coming to NZ and seeing how you are dealing with things such as rural depopulation and succession planning has been very helpful. After all, we as two small countries have shared values when it comes to agriculture and our farmers are proud of the quality of the produce they produce and the way they farm," he says.

Buttimer says he admires the way NZ is dealing with succession planning and the encouragement given to young people to make a career in the agri sector. He says there is already a great deal of cooperation between the two countries, which is greatly beneficial to both nations.

He also made a pitch for NZ to look closely at the investment opportunities Ireland has to offer, pointing out it is at the heart of Europe and the only English-speaking nation in the European Union. He says Ireland is also interested in NZ's initiatives to preserve the Maori language and way the Maori economy has been fostered and grown.

This is Buttimer's second visit to NZ. He first came here as a tourist in 2007 and has many special friends here. As well as visiting Irish societies in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, Buttimer took part in a special St Patrick's Day luncheon at Parliament hosted by speaker Gerry Brownlee, who has Irish connections.

Fun and Games

Hosting Jerry Buttimer during his eight-day visit was NZ Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson who took him to the rural games in Palmerston North - an event which saw the Irish competitors at the event.

On the serious side, Patterson says Ireland and NZ have many issues in common, not the least of which is greenhouse gas emissions.

"The point of the discussions was to try to learn more about what each other is doing. Of course, we are jointly investing with Ireland in the greenhouse gas research centre and there are a lot of things happening between the two countries," he says.

Patterson says while it's true that there has been some decline in rural communities in NZ, it is not all negative. He says there are moves to make sure there are good services in rural areas, which will make it attractive for people to live there. He says Ireland and NZ have very strong cultural ties which is helping to develop a strong relationship.

"We are both small countries that are being dominated by a power play at the moment; we are both grappling in real time how to respond to that," he says.