Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I look forward to the Taoiseach's visit to the House to dialogue with us. I hope that visit is imminent. I compliment him on the visit of the Chinese Vice President, Mr. Xi Jinping. Of the world's population of 6.7 billion, 20% live in China. One in every five people on the planet is Chinese. The weekend's visit was exciting and spine-chilling. For Ireland, it was as dramatic as the day we joined the EU in 1973. There are no words adequate to describe the opportunities for boosting trade and employment. Credit is due to the many people, including Bertie Ahern, who forged these relationships over the years.