I think Mike Gill in Adelaide was the only IRE but may well have retired by now. Why not just renew the MEP Class rating, that will keep your JAA licence going. If you don't intend to exercise the privileges of the JAA IR why waste money renewing it? So long as you have an ICAO IR the JAA one can easily be renewed when required, the 7 year rule does not apply whilst you hold an ICAO IR. In any event, the most relevant thing you need to have a JAA licence reissued after 5 years is a JAA Class 1 Medical.