The United States has been a friend of ours. The British have been greater friends, certainly in recent years. The assistance they have given us in trying to bring about a peaceful resolution in the North must be recognised. Far from being warmongers, they have sat around the table with us for what is, in terms of world order, a relatively small piece of territory. The assistance they have provided, the effort they have put in and the support they have given us should not go unnoticed. At the time of the Famine the United States was friendly to us and provided a safe haven for our forefathers. More recently – Senator Ross talked about this – it has contributed in the form of directive foreign investment which has driven the Celtic tiger.