Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat arís a Chathaorlaigh agus go raibh maith agaibh go léir. These will probably be my final remarks for today. Senator Currie makes an important point in reminding us that this is going to culminate in a report which is as much our guests' as it is ours. That is the strength of this process. We wanted to play our role as a political institution but also as an institution that has previously - and, indeed, currently - benefited from being nationally representative, in the sense of representing Ireland in its entirety in its own modest way. It still has a bit to go yet but nevertheless, it is an important aspect of the Seanad.

I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their submissions and contributions. I reiterate what Senator Black said. I encourage everyone to go back and listen to the contributions of the young people this morning. They were really good, as were the contributions this afternoon. We all accept and agree that on this issue, there will have to be compromise. I remember many years ago when I was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast, one of the first visits I made was to my old secondary school. A teacher there who had taught me in primary three and primary four of the bunscoil and had taught me all the way through secondary school from the beginning to the end had his own views on the constitutional question. I remember that he gave me a hurl to put into the mayor's parlour. Written on it, as Gaeilge was "an crann nach lúbann, brisfidh sé", which means "the tree that does not bend, breaks". We all have a bit to go in terms of compromise and understanding each other and the Seanad has a good role, through this committee, in facilitating some of that discussion and helping to inform going forward. I do not want anybody to get the false impression that this is a citizens' assembly. We are trying to play a role in contributing to the larger debate. We are really strengthened in doing so as a result of our guests' input, no matter where they are coming from and no matter what their submissions. Obviously, not everyone who made a submission will have the opportunity to come into the Chamber and present, but we are very grateful for all them. I genuinely hope it goes some modest way in helping to inform the debate going forward.