The Government is to help fund efforts to preserve an Antarctic base, President Mary McAleese announced today.
The €53,000 donation towards the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust will help maintain the base used by famous Irish explorers Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean.
President McAleese welcomed the funding in Auckland during her state visit to New Zealand, praising the efforts of the explorers and Antarctic adventurer New Zealander, Frank Worsley.
"Their endless curiosity, and bravery, their love of life and love of this earth, have left us an enduring challenge to know our world profoundly, to respect it utterly and to take responsibility in our time for the times yet to come," she said.
"The New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust's valuable work to preserve this formidable legacy is commendable."
President McAleese urged support for the Trust's work in preserving the legacy and landscape of the region.
"More and more we are beginning to understand that these magnificent landscapes that seem so remote and unreachable are sending us upfront and very personal, urgent messages about the effects of our behaviour that are vital to our very survival," she said.
"I hope that both Ireland and New Zealand will be strong voices in our world for a new global culture of care for our planet, a culture that starts in every heart and every home."
The President also praised the role of the Ireland Fund of New Zealand for its efforts in the journey to peace and reconciliation in Ireland.