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Change to ESTA application process

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that from 8^th September 2010, travellers from Visa Waiver Program countries are required to pay a fee when applying for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The fee is $14.

ESTA is an electronic registration system requiring travellers who are part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to register in advance of travelling to the USA. Mandatory registration has come into force since 12 January 2009.

Further information is available at the Department of Homeland Security website, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Micheál Martin, T.D., welcomes entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

 

1st August 2010

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), adopted at the Dublin Diplomatic Conference in May 2008, formally enters into force on 1 August, six months after the deposit of the thirtieth ratification. The provisions of the treaty are now legally binding on the thirty-seven States which have ratified the Convention. A further sixty-nine States have signed the CCM and many are close to ratification. 

Minister Martin said: 

“The entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, adopted in Dublin in May 2008 is a cause for great celebration. I am proud that Irish commitment has resulted in the comprehensive ban contained in the Convention and the far-reaching provisions on victim assistance and on clearance of cluster munitions. I am delighted that these are now legally binding. They have established a benchmark in international humanitarian law and set a major standard for the future. A new international norm has been established, stigmatising cluster munitions and ultimately making their use unthinkable. 

Ireland will continue to take a leading role in this work. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has kindly offered to host the first Meeting of States Parties in Vientiane in November 2010 and we are already working to support the Lao Government in its preparations for that meeting, including by providing an Irish member of staff for its support unit and a contribution of $500,000 to the Lao PDR Cluster Munitions Trust Fund. The Vientiane meeting must send a clear signal to the international community that implementation of the Convention will be pursued with the same energy and vigour that characterised its negotiation.” 

The Minister also reiterated support for the work of civil society in achieving such progress in preventing the appalling humanitarian consequences of the use of cluster munitions. He noted that funding of €250,000 had been committed to the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), the umbrella NGO organisation, to support its work in 2010. 

For the rest of the press release, click here.

 

Message from Culture Ireland

US focus for 2011

Culture Ireland is planning a strategic focus on the United States in 2011, aiming to showcase Irish artistic excellence in partnership with significant US institutions, venues and festivals, to build on the unique cultural relationship between the two countries and expand the reach of Irish culture to new American audiences.

Projects in planning may be submitted as part of Culture Ireland’s autumn funding round, the deadline for which is 5pm on Monday 16 August.

We hope to present a range of events across artistic disciplines in key cities (for example New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta) and in other locations where there are strong presenting partners.   Proposals for tours to multiple locations are welcomed.  Applications may be made by Irish artists and companies or by US presenters, and should include as much budget information as possible, including supplementary material if needed.

While events in the US for the latter half of 2011 may also be submitted in the winter funding round (deadline 15 November), outline proposals are requested as part of the current round, if possible, to enable their inclusion in advance planning and budgeting.

For more information see www.cultureireland.gov.ie.

Dublin gets major UN literary honour

Monday 26th July 2010

The city of Dublin has been designated UNESCO City of Literature, becoming only the fourth city to receive this prestigious title.

The accolade is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network which was launched in 2004. UNESCO’s assessment takes into account the level and diversity of publishing in the city, the quality of education focusing on literature at first, second and third level, and the role of literature and drama in the city, among other things.

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mary Hanafin TD congratulated the institutions and libraries of Dublin on the title: “Dublin has been awarded this accolade because of the rich historical literary past of the city, the vibrant contemporary literature, the variety of festivals and attractions available and because it is the birthplace and home of literary greats.

Names such as Swift, O’Casey, Wilde, Shaw, Behan, Beckett and Joyce are synonymous with Dublin and there are reminders of their great literary works throughout the city – which captures both scholars and tourist imaginations when they visit the city.”

Irish Network USA

March 2010 saw the launch of Irish Network USA (“IN USA”) by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen in San Francisco.  IN USA is the brainchild of a broad spectrum of Irish people living in the U.S. who believe that there are greater opportunities to be had from combining their knowledge and goodwill towards the Irish, and building upon those strengths to enable Irish individuals living in the U.S. to succeed and become part of a national Irish community that has been one of the driving forces of economic success in the U.S. over the past 100 years.

For further information, please see the website of the Irish Network USA.

See also the website of the Washington DC Irish Network.

1901 Irish Census returns are online

The full 1901 Census of Ireland Records are now online.

The Irish Census returns for the night of 31^st March 1901 provide detailed returns from households across 32 counties of the island of Ireland and are the earliest surviving complete Government census returns. The vast bulk of earlier census returns were destroyed over time with many records lost due to a fire in 1922 at the Public Records Office.

Over 4.5 million individual records from the returns made by some 850,000 households on census night in1901 are now available free of charge for everyone across the world to access.

Over the past five years the National Archives of Ireland has, through a research partnership with Library and Archives Canada managed and facilitated digitisation, indexing and contextualisation of the 1901 and 1911 census records.

Full details of the 1901 and 1911 Censuses are available on www.census.nationalarchives.ie.

Publication of the Progress Report on the Global Irish Economic Forum

Minister Martin published in March a comprehensive progress report on the steps already taken to implement the proposals made at the Global Irish Economic Forum, held at Farmleigh on 18-20 September 2009.  Read the Minister's statement on the publication of the Report here. The full text of the Report is available here.

Minister Martin Launches the Global Irish Network

04/02/2010

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin has officially launched the government’s Global Irish Network.  Speaking at the launching event in the Irish Embassy in London Minister Martin said: 

“At the Global Irish Economic Forum, I proposed that a new Global Irish Network would be established, through which Government could maintain and develop its relationship with the global Irish business community. I am now delivering on this commitment.

The establishment of The Global Irish Network will honour the Government’s commitment at Farmleigh to listen to and work with those who, though mainly resident abroad, continue to have a strong interest and stake in Ireland and its progress.”

The Global Irish Network brings together for the first time some 280 individuals from different regions and different sectors, who all share a strong connection to Ireland and have a record of high achievement in international business or have assisted in the promotion of Ireland abroad through their prominence in the cultural or sporting worlds.” 

For further details, click here.

RTÉ Player International 

RTÉ has launched a comprehensive international online TV catch-up service (RTÉ Player) for those with an Irish connection living abroad.

Worldwide audiences can now catch-up on RTÉ Television programmes for up to 21 days through an integrated online media player.  The international version of the RTÉ Player carries a range of programmes that have been cleared for international audiences.

Content available includes all RTÉ News and Current Affairs programming (eg: Prime Time, The Frontline, Nationwide), flagship entertainment programming (eg: The Late Late Show), documentaries and a range of arts and music programming, including The View.

Subject to rights clearance in 2010, sports content available for catch-up will include League of Ireland matches and Monday Night Soccer in March.  Rugby Extra, which gives extended post-match analysis of Ireland's RBS 6-Nations matches will be available in February.  As the GAA season returns in May, The Sunday Game will be available on RTÉ Player.  There will also be basketball, boxing, greyhound racing, the RDS Dublin Horse Show and a host of special events available throughout the year.

In addition to the catch-up services, News Now, RTÉ's 24 hour live and looped online news service will be also available to global audiences.

For further details, please click here. 

Work and travel in Ireland

In 2008 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Micheál Martin T.D., signed an agreement with the US Government that will enable Irish and US citizens to work and travel in each other's countries for up to 12 months. The agreement reflects not only the close historical and cultural links between Ireland and the United States of America, but also the vibrancy of the modern economic and commercial relationship between our countries.

In order to qualify for the programme participants should be either in post-secondary education or have recently graduated (ie within the last 12 months).

This new programme will not affect the operation of the highly successful Student Work and Travel programme which permits students from the US and Ireland to work and travel for several months every summer. This J1 programme will continue to exist as a separate, more limited programme.

HOW TO APPLY?  

US citizens wishing to travel to Ireland under the terms of the agreement should make an application for a US Working Holiday Authorisation at the Embassy of Ireland in Washington or the Consulates General of Ireland in Boston, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. Please click here for contact details.