Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Is mian liom freisin fáilte a chur roimh na hionadaithe atá anseo ón Tuaisceart. Tá seo stairiúil agus ar shlí díríonn sin díreach ar an bpointe cad é atá i gceist sa rún seo. Molaim Sinn Féin freisin toisc an rún a chur os ár gcomhair agus an machnamh agus an taighde atá déanta ag an pháirtí.

Tá seanfhocal ann, ní neart go cur le chéile, agus táimse den tuairim go gcabhródh an rún seo leis an neart sin ar son an náisiúin. Is cuma cá bhfuil na Gaeil bailithe le chéile - sa Tuaisceart, sa Deisceart nó thar lear - is cuid den náisiún iad agus tá sé tábhachtach dúinn a bheith flaithiúil agus praiticiúil. Tá sé tráthúil anois bheith praiticiúil agus flaithiúil leis na daoine seo a raibh neamhaird déanta orthu le blianta fada anuas. Ní féidir linn leanúint ar aghaidh ar an mbóthar sin agus bheadh an-áthas orm dá mbeadh ar ár gcumas inniu aontas a thaispeáint leis an rún agus é a ghlacadh gan aon deighilt nó aon bhriseadh. Táim cinnte go gcuirfeadh sé sin an teachtaireacht cheart amach i measc an phobail.

Tá súil agam, nuair a bheidh an díospóireacht ar siúl againn, go mbeidh seans againn féachaint ar na céimeanna atá tábhachtach chun an sprioc seo a bhaint amach chomh tapaidh agus is féidir. Tá sé tábhachtach gan ligean don ábhar seo dul le sruth, caithfimid díriú air go práinneach agus tá seans ag an Seanad ár neart agus an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an Teach seo a thaispeáint. Bheadh an-díoma orm go pearsanta dá mba rud e nár ghlac muid leis an seans seo chun sin a dhéanamh agus an stair féin a aithint agus a chothú anseo inniu. Sin an chúis go bhfuilimid anseo mar Sheanadóirí.

The motion is not overly prescriptive and is more of a roadmap for going forward, but it includes the essence of what we should all be practising. We are all pleased with and proud of the Good Friday Agreement. We have seen what it has done for all people on this island. We have also seen what it has done for the Irish diaspora. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to travel have had an opportunity to get a sense of Irishness among the diaspora at first hand, be it in the Bronx, Boston, New York, Chicago, Camden town, Liverpool or elsewhere. This motion refers to the elements of the diaspora with citizenship. They have never lost contact with the homeland. They availed of every opportunity that came their way to promote Ireland and its prosperity and welfare. No one in the House can genuinely believe that President Obama came to Ireland for any reason other than to acknowledge, and benefit from, the Irish constituency in the United States. Nobody can genuinely believe we would have made all the progress we did with the Good Friday Agreement without President Bill Clinton reflecting the Irishness in his country and having hands-on involvement with the Good Friday Agreement.

For decades through my association with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann I have had an opportunity to become keenly aware of the manner in which we have treated those who have helped our country at every opportunity, whether in the North or abroad. However, we never availed of opportunities to acknowledge them except in a cosmetic way on St. Patrick's Day. Comhaltas is an all-Ireland movement and it does not matter whether the people in it are from Tyrone or Tralee, they are all Irish. Comhaltas is also organised in 15 countries on four continents, and wherever one goes and meets Irish people, one realises that spiritually and otherwise they are part of the nation. Perhaps we need to make a slight distinction between the nation and the State. The Irish nation is wherever Irish people foregather in the name of Ireland.

We have an opportunity today to acknowledge the manner in which we ignored our people practically and basically in the past. It gives us an opportunity to show a new-found confidence and to underline and strengthen our sovereignty, which at present is very much in danger. I would like to think that we, like every nation must do, will recognise there is a time in the life of a nation when cohesion, unity and generosity of spirit are essential. This is such a time. It is not a time for partisan politics or for scoring points. It is a time for recognising the antiquity of our nation.

This is also an opportunity to see the progress we have made as a State and once again to tell our young people that in spite of whatever challenges come our way, whether they be economic or human rights issues, we still have the potential to achieve the greatness of those who have sacrificed themselves in the past on our behalf and whom it is hoped we will commemorate rightly and generously in 2016. Young people will look at the deliberations in this House today, and the Seanad as a House of Parliament has an opportunity to show its relevance, its independence and, above all, its non-partisan approach on important issues such as the one before the House today.

Visualise what it would mean to us at the end of the day to have a President elected by all the citizens of Ireland, whatever part of the island they are on and whatever part of the world they are in. We owe it to all these people to do the right thing today. It can do nothing but good for Ireland at home and abroad. I hope, even at this last minute, an opportunity exists to unanimously accept the motion before the House.