Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Yes, thank you. Before we begin, I would like to comment on last week's proceedings. As members are aware, Deputy Lucinda Creighton is no longer our Minister of State. I think we can agree that she was a fantastic Minister of State. During the course of Ireland's EU Presidency, she travelled 120,000 miles to 44 different countries on behalf of our country. She was always willing to come before this committee and she gave of her time very generously. I am sure I can speak of behalf of the whole committee when I wish her well and thank her for her services to the committee. Her departure means that we have also lost one of our own members. Deputy Paschal Donohoe has been appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs. I have known him since 2007, when we served in the Seanad together, and I am delighted for him and his family. He will make an excellent Minister of State. It is a subject he knows much about, as we know from his membership of this committee. I look forward to seeing him back in front of this committee as Minister of State in the near future, once he settles into the role. On behalf of the committee, I wish the new Minister of State the very best in his new position.