McAleese to begin state visit to New Zealand
Friday, 26 October 2007 14:45President Mary McAleese is to travel to New Zealand today on a six-day state visit.
Mrs McAleese will be welcomed to Wellington on Monday with a Maori ceremony before meeting with Governor General, The Honorable Anand Satyanand and Prime Minister Helen Clark.
She will then lay wreaths in the Hall of Memories and at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and, later that evening, will be guest of honour at a State Dinner hosted by the Governor General.
She is expected to unveil a plaque to commemorate the contribution of Irish immigrants to Wellington and New Zealand.
Mrs McAleese is to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Laws, by University of Otago in Dunedin. She will be the first Irish person to receive such an honour.
The President will also meet the Irish community in Wellington and Auckland and will address a business lunch hosted by Enterprise Ireland.
Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education, will accompany the President on her trip. It is the second state visit by President McAleese to New Zealand - she first travelled there in 1998.
