Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everybody back. As a reminder, the five topics we are covering are: health, including mental health; accommodation; education; employment; and justice. I thank all the ushers in Leinster House for their support today and also the catering staff, especially Julie and John, in making sure everybody had some nice lunch. We say there are so many Johns and Martins in our community. There are so many Daves and Davids among the ushers, so I am not going to go through them all. I would really like to thank them because they are a joy to work with, and the same with the restaurant staff. I got a lovely message from the photographers and camera people who are recording today's session. They are really enjoying listening to people. This is what it is all about. It is about people in here educating everybody around the issues that impact on Travellers. We have dealt with them for years, but if we think we are the most educated people in the room, we are really the biggest fools in the room. It is the same way for people in these Houses. It is brilliant to get the lovely messages from the camera people who are recording today. There is a lovely atmosphere around Leinster House. I thank everybody for making that possible.

Our first speaker this afternoon is Mr. Oein de Bhairdúin. We are absolutely privileged to have Oein here with us this afternoon. The floor is his.