Tag Archives: Department of Foreign Affairs

A SOUTH East Clare woman living in Milan has raised welcomed the removal of Italy from the list of countries from which visitors must go into Mandatory Hotel Quarantine (MHQ) when they arrive in Ireland. Rachel Turner, a native of Bridgetown, who has been living and working in Italy for over a decade, said the decision of the Irish government to add Italy to the list for MHQ sent shockwaves through the community, when it was announced last month. She also told The Champion that it had led to an upsurge in anti-Irish sentiment online. Speaking from Milan this week Rachel said she was very pleased that concerns of the Irish-Italian community had now been listened to and that Italy has been removed from the Irish government’s  red list. “I am very relieved to know that if in an emergency I can get home though no-one wants to think like that it’s a scary prospect not being able to,” she …

A SOUTH East Clare woman living in Milan has raised welcomed the removal of Italy from the list of countries from which visitors must go into Mandatory Hotel Quarantine (MHQ). Rachel Turner, a native of Bridgetown, who has been living and working in Italy for over a decade, said the decision of the Irish government to add Italy to the list for MHQ sent shockwaves through the community, when it was announced last month. She also told The Champion that it had led to an upsurge in anti-Irish sentiment online. Speaking from Milan this week Rachel said she was very pleased that concerns of the Irish-Italian community had been listened to. “I am very relieved to know that if in an emergency I can get home though no-one wants to think like that it’s a scary prospect not being able to,” she said. “We are happy to be off the list but the situation of MHQ in Ireland needs to …

AS of this Monday, Stephen Warde from Kinvara, who was last seen in Malaysia on December 28, has still not been located. Mr Warde’s mother, Mary Morrissey travelled out to Kuala Lumpar,Malaysia over the weekend to help with the search for her son and is accompanied by two of her daughters. The Department of Foreign Affairs is is providing consular assistance and is co-operating with local police in the investigation to find his whereabouts. Stephen Warde (32) from Kinvara, Co Galway arrived in Malaysia alone on November 15 last and rented a unit at the Mercu Summer Suites along Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpar. He was last seen on December 28, a day before his tenancy was to expire. All of his belongings were still in the unit when searched by police. Police chief Assistant Commissioner Dang Wangi Shaharuddin Abdullah said, “Investigations are ongoing.” “He was supposed to check out from the unit on December 29, but did not …

THE Union of Students in Ireland, with support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and American Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O’Malley, will launch the J1 Guide 2016 this Tuesday at Leinster House. Since its launch in 1966 the J-1 Summer Work Travel (SWT) programme has welcomed 150,000 Irish young people to the United States. “USI and the Department of Foreign Affairs have produced this latest guide to working and living in America under the J1 visa. It includes tips on staying safe and planning the J1 trip of a lifetime, while being a good ambassador for Ireland and showing the best example to American citizens of how Ireland is today,” Kevin Donoghue, USI president said. USI are advising students who want to take part in the J1 programme this year to sign up early so that they have time to organise a job in advance. The main Irish J1 agents are currently running placement programmes to help students secure a …

In an effort to improve communication and build a better network for outgoing J-1 summer work and travel participants, the US Embassy is to work with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and local agencies and US sponsors on a series of outreach and information events. Kicking off this year’s J-1 visa season will be the first such briefing to be held on Monday next at 1pm in University College Dublin. The US Embassy and Department of Foreign Affairs will join the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and local partner, USIT at the orientation session for outgoing J-1 exchange participants in the debating chamber. Approximately 150 outgoing J-1 participants are expected to attend. US Ambassador Kevin O’Malley has said, “The J-1 visa programme is a very important ingredient in the strong U.S.-Irish relationship. As the US Ambassador, I am often told that the Irish ‘get’ Americans. I am convinced that this massive J-1 programme is an underappreciated factor, for …