Mr. Denis Staunton:

Yes. I thank Senator Norris for his remarks about The Irish Timescoverage. I am sorry he does not like the skiing sections.
With regard to St. Patrick's Day, he is absolutely right that it is an extraordinary opportunity. I was in Washington for four years. There is not a single other country, even its largest and closest allies, that has an annual appointment with the President and with the Speaker of the House. The number of hours the Taoiseach spends with the President that day is utterly ludicrous. Years ago, I recall speaking to a lobbyist in Washington and asking how much he charged to arrange that and he said he charged $2 million but that he would not be able to deliver it. It is something that money cannot buy. The idea that we should complain about our officials going there, given that, through no fault of our own, it is something from which we benefit, seems absurd.