Canadian Labour minister visits New Ross
Canada’s Minister of Labour visited the Dunbrody Visitor Centre in New Ross recently to discuss developing links between his country and the area and to see the centre’s CE scheme staff at work.
Mr. Kevin Flynn M.P. visited the tourist attraction, which had a record year with 70,000 expected to have passed through its famine tour by year end.
Mr Flynn was in Waterford City visiting the team at the Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board to celebrate its success in delivering a specific training programme, the ‘Red Seal Certificate of Qualification’, which enables Irish welders to have their qualifications recognised in Canada, thereby enabling them to apply for and positions and work in their specialist field in Canada.
CEO of the Dunbrody Visitor Centre Sean Connick said: ‘He was inspecting training at our centre. For us it was an important visit as we are purely interested in developing friendship and connections with Canada.’
He said Mr Flynn, who is a Liverpudlian who moved to Canada in his childhood, spoke of the special bonds that exist between Ireland and Canada. ‘ We had a meeting with him to develop our links with Canada. We have an ancestry project which is in the final stage of development - and involves the Murphy’s building on the quay - which will enable Canadian citizens and people from across the world to explore their Irish ancestry.
‘As part of that project we have a very good working relationship with Savannah and Georgia and we want similar linkages with Liverpool, due to the Graves shipping connection and Canada. From our perspective it was a very important visit.’