Alex White (Labour)

I welcome the Taoiseach to the House and acknowledge what he said about the contributions of party leaders and Ministers for Foreign Affairs over the past 20 years in the context of the considerable achievements in this period. In particular, I recall the contributions of a former leader of my party, Mr. Dick Spring, in that period of the 1990s from the Downing Street Declaration until the ceasefire. In fairness to the Taoiseach, he has been most generous in acknowledging the various contributions by Members of all parties on what has been achieved.

The Taoiseach's speech was good and I thank him for it. He will appreciate there are not many occasions on which Members on this side of the House congratulate those on the other side on their speeches.