Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil will be supporting this motion. At the outset, I extend my best wishes to the Lithuanian Government and the Lithuanian people on taking up the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time. As the Tánaiste is aware from his experience over the past six months, it is a great honour to lead the Council of the European Union. It is also a great responsibility which gives the Presidency in office an exciting opportunity to make a real and significant impact on the direction of the European Union. With a population of approximately 3 million people, Lithuania, like Ireland, has the potential for an influence on the Union that is far beyond its size.

I also wish to take this opportunity to officially congratulate the new Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, on his appointment. I wish him well in his role and much success. It is an honour to represent Ireland in this role and I believe Deputy Donohoe will do a great job in it. I have had the honour and pleasure of working with the Minister of State, Deputy Donohoe, on the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs for a number of years and I know him to be a man of the highest personal integrity. He is someone who I believe to have great intellect and wisdom and I am sure he will bring all that to his new role. I also know him to be a man of great humility, a characteristic which I believe will stand to him exceptionally well in the role he now holds. I wish him every success, and I mean that on a personal basis as well as on behalf of my party.

See this speech in context