Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

I move the following motions:

That, to welcome the visit to Ireland of the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable John Howard, MP, and to mark the event in a signal manner, the Prime Minister be invited to address the Dáil at 5.15 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 May, the proceedings at such address shall consist of a speech by the Ceann Comhairle welcoming the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's address and an expression of thanks by the Ceann Comhairle for the address; and that the sitting be thereupon suspended until 7 p.m.: Provided that, in the unlikely event Prime Minister Howard, is unable to attend, the Ceann Comhairle may suspend the sitting until 7 p.m.

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, and unless the Dáil shall otherwise order, in order to facilitate an address by the Honourable John Howard, MP, Prime Minister of Australia, the following arrangements shall apply in relation to the sitting of the Dáil on Tuesday, 23 May 2006:

(1) The sitting shall be suspended at 4.50 until 5.15 p.m, whereupon the address by Prime Minister Howard, MP, shall then be heard;

(2) Immediately following the address by Prime Minister Howard, MP, and the expression of thanks by the Ceann Comhairle, the sitting shall stand suspended until 7 p.m., whereupon the ordinary routine of business shall recommence with private members' business;

(3) In the event of a private notice question being allowed, it shall be taken during the last thirty minutes of the time allowed for the taking of Oral Questions on that day (and the taking of Questions shall not resume thereafter).

The Prime Minister of Australia, the Right Honourable Mr. John Howard, will pay an official visit to Ireland from 20 to 24 May 2006. The Government proposes that he should be invited to address the Dáil during his visit. This courtesy is one the Dáil extends on occasion to visiting Heads of Government of countries with which Ireland has particularly close ties. Australia is certainly one such country. Its links with Ireland go back to its very foundation and have been reinforced by continuous waves of Irish people who for one reason or another have made Australia their home. We in Ireland are grateful to Australia for welcoming them and giving them the opportunity not only to integrate into Australian society but to mould, shape and develop it.

Deputies will remember that the Prime Minister's predecessors, Mr. Hawke and Mr. Keating, addressed the Dáil during their visits to Ireland and I am delighted to propose that we ask Mr. Howard to continue the tradition. This is the first visit to Ireland by a Prime Minister from the Liberal Party of Australia and, given the close historical ties between our two countries, it is a landmark occasion. Historically, the Irish in Australia were linked to the Australian Labour Party but Irish-Australians are now active across the political spectrum. The Prime Minister himself claims some Irish ancestry.

This will be the first visit by Mr. Howard to Ireland since 1977. We know from our preparations for his visit that he is interested in the transformation of the Irish economy and we will be pleased to demonstrate to him the success we have achieved. His visit will also permit us to return the warm hospitality he extended to the Taoiseach and to President McAleese during their respective visits to Australia.

The Prime Minister's official programme will begin on Monday, 22 May, with a wreath-laying ceremony at Kilmainham. He will then meet students from the Australian Studies Centre at University College Dublin. A civic reception will be held for him at the Mansion House, while a lunch organised by Dublin Chamber of Commerce, IBEC and Enterprise Ireland will provide the Prime Minister with an opportunity to meet Irish and Australian business interests. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs will hold official talks with the Prime Minister. Fortunately, our relations with Australia are very good and the talks will focus on how to develop and strengthen our mutual co-operation. The Prime Minister will also be received by President McAleese. The Ceann Comhairle has agreed to meet him, as have the leaders of the Opposition parties and, if the Dáil approves this motion, the Prime Minister will address this House.

The Prime Minister's visit to Ireland provides a valuable opportunity to build on the historically close and increasingly dynamic relationship between Australia and Ireland and to further pursue our mutual interests in expanding trade and investment, people-to-people links and practical co-operation in areas such as research and development, information technology and education.

Ireland's bilateral relations with Australia are excellent. Ireland has had an embassy in Canberra since 1946, the year in which Australia opened its embassy in Dublin. In 2000, Ireland opened a consulate general in Sydney. The President paid an official visit to Australia in March 2003 and her two immediate predecessors also paid State visits.

People-to-people contacts have been widespread and frequent. The working holiday visa scheme for Australia continues to be very successful. Approximately 10,000 Irish young people visit Australia each year under the scheme, while 2,000 Australians visit Ireland. Australia is also an important market for Irish tourism. We estimate that 150,000 Australians visited Ireland in 2005 and we look forward to an increase in this figure with the introduction of better air links. The December 2005 introduction by Gulf Air of direct flights between Dublin and Bahrain, with onward connections to Australia, represented an important development. In March 2006, Aer Lingus introduced direct flights to Dubai, which can connect with Emirates flights to airports in Australia.

Ireland and Australia have a shared interest in culture and sport. As our people moved, they extended the reach of our sport and culture. Australians have proved adept at taking what they inherited to a higher plain, be it Gaelic and Australian rules football, literature, painting, traditional music or Irish dancing. At the recent world Irish dancing championships in Belfast, two young Australians from Wallangra, New South Wales, beat top-class competitors from around the world to become the first male and female winners in the history of Australia's Irish dancing community.

Our trading relations with Australia are healthy and the balance of trade is heavily in our favour. In 2005, two way trade was valued at €864 million, with Irish exports valued at €734 million and imports from Australia at €130 million. In recent years, Irish software companies and farm machinery manufacturers have enjoyed significant success in Australia. Five years ago, I led a successful trade mission to Australia which targeted these sectors. Currently, 44 Irish companies operate in Australia, more than double the 19 that operated there five years ago. There are 35 Australian companies in Ireland, operating in the manufacturing, financial and international services sectors.

The Taoiseach's discussions with the Prime Minister will also allow them to exchange views on the wider relationship between Australia and the European Union. The EU is Australia's largest single economic partner in terms of two way trade in goods and services, the largest investor in Australia and the second largest destination for Australian investment overseas. The Joint Declaration on Relations between the European Union and Australia reaffirms our determination to build up the relationship to support democracy and the rule of law and promote peace, security and non-proliferation. We are particularly interested in the excellent work done under the Agreement Relating to Scientific and Technical Co-operation Between Australia and the European Union.

Australia's genesis and history has fostered a strong interest there in Northern Ireland. Australia was an early contributor to the International Fund for Ireland and has strongly supported the Good Friday Agreement. Deputies will be aware of this Government's interest in developments in the Asia Pacific region and we look forward to hearing the Prime Minister's views on the matter. Closer relations with China and India are a priority for Australia. The Prime Minister has been to China several times and visited India earlier this year for the first time. Given the recent visits to Asia by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, there will obviously be fruitful ground for exchanges of views on this most important region. From my previous experience as Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with special responsibility for development co-operation, I am aware of our common interest in the development and well-being of the new state of East Timor. During my time as Minister of State, Ireland added East Timor as a priority country in its aid programme. There will also be an opportunity to discuss other political issues, including issues that have arisen in the United Nations.

I believe the Dáil as well as the Government will be interested in hearing Mr. Howard's views on relations between Australia, Ireland and on wider world issues. Deputies have strong links with their Australian counterparts, developed through exchanges of visits and information. Many Oireachtas committees have gained valuable experience from study visits to Australia. The proposed address to the Dáil by the Prime Minister is another opportunity for a valuable exchange of information and a strengthening of our friendship with a long-standing and important friend. I commend the motions to the House.

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