Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

During the past few days, I received a message from the Irish community association in Shanghai. It is excited that for the first time the route for its St. Patrick's Day parade there will be recognised by city officialdom. One reason it is now recognised is the success of the Irish entry at Shanghai's World Expo 2010 which I had the privilege of visiting. Over the six months of the exposition, millions of people queued to see the story of Ireland.

In the past several years, the St. Patrick's Day parade in Tokyo, where there is a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, has been allowed to go down the city's main thoroughfare with young Japanese people performing Irish music and dances. Such events are replicated across the world.

All Members accept it is a very positive asset for Ireland. Over the past several years, however, the message has been percolating from this country regarding a limited attitude against sending representatives to the Irish diaspora, comprising 40 million people in North America alone. Members of the diaspora feel very hurt that when they are doing work for this country, not just in a cultural but an economic sense, we would start cutting St. Patrick's Day visits by public representatives. It is important to realise it is easy to disillusion and discourage those very people who are voluntarily promoting our country. Never was such promotion more needed than now.

I have no hesitation in saying that I would be very happy and proud if the Taoiseach, Deputy Brian Cowen, represented us in whatever part of the world he chooses. I would say the same of any Taoiseach from any other party. Accordingly, we should have a united approach that we will not allow this attitude of cutting back on visits to prevail.