Mr. Tony Fitzgerald:

I thank Senators for their kind remarks. Cork is always glad to take the lead in any national identity initiative. We are delighted to do that. It is important that Mr. Alain Newstead, a student from Bishopstown community school, which is one of the schools that I visited, will be present shortly to make a presentation.

Schools are the obvious places to promote this. School is where this issue arose for me. The right time to do it is around the Easter holidays but, unfortunately, that schools break at that time poses a challenge. St. Patrick's weekend is probably the best time of the year to do it because schools will be open the day before St. Patrick's Day unless it falls on a weekend. Ideally, I would prefer it to be done at Easter, but that is not practical because schools close before Holy Thursday. All schools singing the anthem together at 8.55 a.m. is the way to go.