Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I am standing in for my colleague, Deputy Seán Barrett, who cannot be here this morning. I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State on their appointment and wish them well in the coming years. I also congratulate the Chairman.

The issue in the back of everybody's minds is the UK referendum. I congratulate the various Ministers, Departments and opposition spokespersons who have given so much of their time to promoting what is a common cause in so far as the United Kingdom's potential exit is concerned in the sense that, as referred to by the Chairman, while it may be in a different jurisdiction, there is a serious common interest. We hope that it goes right from the point of view of both the United Kingdom and this country. To those who say that it is a separate issue, we all are Europeans whether we like it or not. By virtue of the fact that we live on the continent of Europe, we have a common interest. John Donne always comes to mind, when he famously wrote:

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less,

and he finished off by saying,

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

We hope that the response is in the interests of Europe when the results are made known.

I congratulate the embassy staff and mission staff overseas for their work and involvement in the promotion of Ireland Inc., the national cause, the commerce and the industry, and the link-up that is required being part and parcel of the selling of the Irish image at all times. I suggest that continue and be emphasised because the corporate brand is much broader than we used to recognise it as being. It goes a long, long way. It has many aspects, including the football, which we have watched over the past few days and, hopefully, will watch to an even greater extent in the next few days.

I congratulate the Department for its work and foresight, and its many missions overseas, which we have visited in the past and seen at first hand. They do tremendous work and take on considerable tasks with very little resources, and manage to survive and make an impact that is above and beyond that of a player of our size in the international arena.