Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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Before I conclude, I have a number of thank-yous I need to say. Believe it or not I am a year elected to this position today and it has been a huge honour. Again, I want to thank the Chief Whip who has been a great support. We have worked together on the Business Committee alongside all our colleagues. I wish to thank Peter Finnegan and his successor Elaine Gunn and the other members of the management board for their support and wise counsel throughout the year. I thank my fellow Houses of the Oireachtas Commission members across the Houses of the Seanad and the Dáil.

I would like to thank all the staff in the Oireachtas for their hard work throughout the year, particularly my private secretary, Jill Gray, who just like yours, Chief Whip, will go mad. I thank Barry Ryan and all in the Superintendent's section, all our ushers and services officers, and John Walsh, Lee Muldoon and all the crew in catering who keep our bellies full and warm for which we are very thankful. To Darren and the staff in the Members' bar, the cleaners, the porters, the backroom administrative staff, our communications unit, the printing staff, facilities, the Bills Office, the OPLA, the PBO, HR, finance, salaries, IT, our OWL programme participants, a huge thank you to you all as well as to the Library and Research Service, the Questions Office, the Debates Office, Rannóg an Aistriúcháin and the committee secretariat.

We have had a very busy diary of diplomatic engagements. It was an absolute honour in my first year to host a State visit. Christmas, I am sure, is a very welcome and deserved break for so many, particularly Ben and Sheila in international parliamentary engagement and protocol. I also want to extend our collective best wishes to all our constituents and in particular to those in the diplomatic corps as well as to our fellow parliamentarians throughout the world. If I have missed anyone, you should report to Jill and I will put you top of the list next year.

A very personal thank you to my family, who have been a huge support. I have not seen much of them but they know where I am and I know where they are. Thanks also to my staff, Sharon and Mary, in my New Ross and Wexford offices who have been a huge support to me for the past year and always. To all the Members of this House, I wish a very happy Christmas. I thank them very much for the honour of being their Ceann Comhairle and for the co-operation throughout the year.

Go raibh Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise agaibh agus ag bhur dteaghlach. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir. Oíche mhaith. Thank you very much everybody. We look forward to seeing you all next year.