Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank both ambassadors. Before I take questions I wish to ask one question of ambassador Apals. It relates to Latvians in Ireland and their experiences. The population of Estonia is approximately 1.3 million and the population of Latvia is more than that, it is 2 million, yet there are probably ten times as many Latvians as Estonians in Ireland. As the ambassador said, there are approximately 25,000 Latvians in this country. I come from the Louth-Meath area where more than 2,000 Latvians live. What makes Ireland such an attractive destination for Latvian people? As ambassador to the Latvians living here, what are their general experiences and what issues does he deal with on a regular basis?