Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Is mian liom aontú leis an Seanadóir O'Toole maidir le straitéis na Gaeilge. Tá an tuarascáil foilsithe agus tá sí ag Rialtas anois. Bheadh sé cabhrach í sin a phlé chomh luath agus is féidir. Given the interest of the Oireachtas in the Irish language, 80 Members attended the information seminar in Buswells Hotel last week organised by the Irish language organisations. This is a large number and indicates the significant level of interest in the Irish language.

A passport is the most valued and treasured document any citizen in any country can hold. When we travel abroad and produce our Irish passports, we invariably receive a warm response such is the status of the country and its passport. Anything that diminishes that status must be contested. A recent incident in which forged Irish passports were found in the possession of members of the Russian spy ring in America was notified to us by the FBI. It is an exceptionally worrying development which not only strikes at the root of our sovereignty, it might also place the lives of Irish people in jeopardy. We can take it for granted that wherever one travels with an Irish passport in the future, it will be examined more closely than was the case. The House expressed its abhorrence of the abuse of Irish passports by Israel, but the punishment meted out at the time was not strong enough. I hope the incident invoving the Russians will be highlighted and that there will be no repetition.