Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was complimenting the two members of our committee, Senators Lorraine Higgins and Deirdre Clune, who are seeking nomination to the European Parliament and I wish them well. They will not be with us this afternoon.

Are the draft minutes of the meeting of 12 March, which have been circulated, agreed? Agreed. Unless there are matters arising from them, we will proceed to the main business. Before we proceed to it, I welcome back our foreign affairs adviser, who has been absent from us for 12 months because of family issues - good issues, for a change. We are delighted to have Ms Olive Hempenstall back with us again. She has returned full-time to us in her role as foreign affairs adviser. We hope she had a good time off, a good rest and that her new son is bouncing around the place.