A nine-member delegation of the Association of Ghanaian Professionals in Ireland (AGPI) led by Dr Vincent Agyapong paid a historic familiarisation visit to the Leinster House which is home to the two arms of the Irish legislature (the Dail, which is the lower house of Parliament and Seanad or Senate which is the Upper house of Parliament) in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland on the 11th march 2008 at the invitation of the Deputy leader of the Labour Party, Joan Burton, TD (a Member of Parliament).

The delegation was first given a guided tour of both houses of parliament in the Leinster house and was briefed on the workings of the Irish parliamentary system. The members of the AGPI’s delegation were also given the opportunity to sit in the gallery of both houses and listen to debates which included Leaders’ Question Time in the Dail and the presentation of the Defamation Bill at the Senate by the Minister of Justice, Brian Lenihan, TD. This also afforded the delegation the opportunity to ask questions from Mr Peter Lahy, an officer at the Leinster House who was AGPI’s special tour guide. He was pleased to meet the AGPI delegation describing the group as the ‘first ever immigrant group resident in Ireland’ to visit the Leinster house. The Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Joan Burton, TD also personally gave the delegation a special tour to interesting places and showed paintings of political significance to the Leinster House and Irish politics.

At the meeting itself, the delegation of AGPI outlined the rationale behind the formation of the association and unveiled AGPI’s road map including planned and executed programmes and activities to assist the Ghanaian communities and other immigrants to realise their full potential and to make positive contribution to their host nation to the TD.

Deputy Joan Burton, in her reply, expressed her delight in meeting the delegation of AGPI and welcomed and commended particularly the formation of such a unique association with noble ambition. She conceded that it was a timely association given the debate on integration and the on-going debate in the Dail of the Immigration and Protection Bill. Largely the issues discussed during this meeting focussed on the Irish educational system, access to employment, education and training for non-EU migrants, difficulties surrounding the recognition of certificates from West Africa in the Irish labour market, family unification and the right to work for spouses of post-graduate students and how to maximise the entrepreneurial potentials of Ghanaians and immigrants at large.

The TD thanked the delegation of the AGPI for honouring her invite and gave few pointers to help the group achieve their mission including liaising with the appropriate bodies. Members of the AGPI delegation were also introduced to the Minister of Education and TD, Deputy Mary Hanafin, who was briefed about the road map of the AGPI. The last meeting held by the AGPI delegation was with the Irish Minister of State in charge of Irish Aid and Overseas Development, Micheal Keit, TD. He summarised to the group the key functions of his office. The group was thrilled to learn about the immense role Irish Aid was fulfilling in the lives of people in the developing countries and expressed their willingness to explore possible areas AGPI and his ministry could work together.

The AGPI delegation included: Dr Vincent Agyapong, a Registrar in Psychiatry, Dr Wilberforce Owusu-Ansah, a Training Development Consultant and Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Ms. Linda Ackah-Twum, a Services Manager, Ms. Lucy Peprah, an Equality Worker, Mr. Abraham Tetteh, an Accountant, Mr. Philip Oppong Amponsah, a University Administrator, Mr. Martin Acheampong, a student, Mr. Percival Akpaloo, a Chief Executive Officer and Mrs. Belinda Agyapong, a Secondary School Teacher