After his last job, Ray Bassett must be glad of the relative peace and quiet of Ottawa.

Ireland's new Ambassador to Canada used to be in charge of the main passport office in Dublin, "during the entire industrial dispute," earlier this year, which saw a major backlog of tens of thousands of passports, and hundreds of irate travellers lined up outside jockeying for their application to be rushed through in time for their upcoming trips.

The public sector unions were upset with the Cowen government's decision to cut jobs and wages. But instead of taking it out on social welfare recipients or hospital patients - which may have resulted in public opinion backlash - the unions instead opted for industrial action at the passport office, which would grab the attention of middle class Ireland.

"It was not within the power of the Foreign Affairs office to deal with (the cuts)," said Bassett of that trying time, during an interview at the Embassy this past October. "We were in a no-win situation."

People who had been planning dream vacations were now facing the prospect of not only a lost trip, but of hours waiting in line. One man grew so irate he chained himself to the railings outside of the passport office.

"The Gardai have a very soft view on that," said Bassett of the man, who even unchained himself so as he could go to the washroom in the office, before resuming his protest.

"It did get nasty," said Bassett. "The public suffered through," as did his staff.
"The unions were letting off steam, and they had a point," added Bassett. "Their members' salaries were being cut."

Even after that difficult period, Bassett still looks back on his time in charge of 400 passport staffers as a good one.

"I loved my job in Dublin," he says.

But, at age 58, Bassett knew it was time to make the leap into the diplomatic life.
"You either took an ambassadorship now or forever held your peace," said Bassett.
Needless to say, however, the transition came with its adjustments.

"You come over here and you have eight staff...and you feel you have to decelerate," he said. "I hope I'm bringing the same energy. It doesn't have the same urgency as an emergency session in the Dail."

FAMILY LIFE

While he has two second cousins who live in Toronto, the Bassett household in Ottawa is a little empty at the moment.

His 16-year-old son is still attending Castleknock College. His wife Patricia, with whom he has five children, four boys and a girl, came over to help him move into the Ambassador's residence in Ottawa's upscale Rockcliffe Park this past summer, but returned to Dublin so as their son could finish off his schooling in Ireland.
"He's got lots of friends over there," said Bassett. "He may make more friends here (though.) It's just me in that big house."

Bassett is clearly delighted when he mentions that she will be returning to him the next day. He is also due to become a grandfather for the first time this coming December, when he returns home for the holidays, around the same time that another of his sons graduates from University College Dublin.

CANADIAN CONNECTIONS

In the interim, however, he has been keeping busy, adjusting to diplomatic life in Ottawa, and travelling the country. As of mid-October, he had been to Toronto twice, Montreal four times, London, Ontario once, and Cornwall, Ontario too.

But it is clear that Canada's Atlantic provinces had cast their spell on Bassett.