How an Irish politician set good example for others

I AM writing in response to recent criticism of the St Patrick’s Day visits by Government ministers to projects in different parts of the world.

These visits undoubtedly help promote trade between Ireland and other countries.

It is to the mutual advantage of all to appreciate and understand the Irish diaspora.

Our homes, St Teresa’s here in Oberá in northern Argentina, are centres of care and prayer.

They are primarily a refuge for abandoned people with learning and physical difficulties and abandoned senior citizens.

They act as half-way houses for people who have no other place to recuperate from illness, hospices where some people spend their last days in an environment of care and comfort and temporary homes for children looking for adoptive parents.

We received Irish aid to build a third home for our expanding group of residents and we were very fortunate that Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern visited and laid the foundation stone for this home in Oberá in Argentina.

Mr Ahern and his team endured ferociously hot and humid conditions during their visit. They travelled on rough mud roads. The whole experience was no Sunday picnic.

The minister greeted all our residents, local employees and volunteers.

Such visits are now more necessary than ever because of the terrible economic and social divide between the first and third worlds. We are a global human family and most of that family is living in great pools of poverty and hopelessness.

The minister’s visit is a great boost and recognition of the magnificent Irish volunteers who generously give their time, talents and energies not for profit but for love for God and respect for some of the world’s forgotten people.

What a great asset for Irish society when such people return home. We need people with this outlook to make Ireland and the world a better place.

In my view, the most important aspect of these visits for us is the good example it gives to local politicians.

In many of these countries the very poor are ostracised and forgotten about. Mr Ahern’s visit, and those like it, cause great surprise and wonderment and act as a wake–up call to local governors, mayors and other public representatives who may ignore the problems facing the poorest people in their region.

Many local people have remarked to me their great surprise at ministers from rich countries like Ireland visiting the poorest of the poor and expressing concern for them.

These visits cause local public representatives to see reality at first hand — one great fruit of this is that it facilitates dialogue between us missionaries and local government authorities to improve and promote the conditions of many marginalised people.

My wish is that governments in other developed countries would imitate the Irish minister’s example and share their national holiday with many other groups all over the world. Globalisation is now a fact of life.

Thank you Mr Ahern for coming here.

Fr Liam Hayes SVD

Hogar Santa Teresa del Nino Jesus

Oberá Misiones

Argentina