Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

The significance of the visit of the Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping cannot be overestimated. The fact that Ireland, a small country on the periphery of Europe, was one of just three countries the vice president visited is an astonishing compliment to this country and its potential. I fully endorse all that has been said on all sides of the House in congratulating the Taoiseach and members of the Government on the manner in which they hosted the vice president over the three days and those who engaged with him, not least the family in County Clare and all those who came in contact with him.

I also compliment Mr. Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland who was the first out of the traps, as it were, as one of the State agencies that will act on the advantages that have been gleaned as a result of the extraordinary coverage the visit to this country received in the Chinese media. As a result of another Government initiative last year, China is one of the countries that will now have easy access to this country in conjunction with the upcoming Olympic Games in addition to a number of other Middle Eastern and Far Eastern countries - 17 in all - who will be able to gain visas not only to the UK, but by extension to visit this country for the next 12 months.

I would like the Leader to raise an issue I brought up with the Minister for Justice and Equality in a previous debate in this House as it is timely to mention it again. Those Chinese nationals who receive tourist visas to visit the Republic of Ireland are unable under the current regime to visit the North of Ireland. As Members on all sides of the House are aware, this country is promoted and marketed internationally as the island of Ireland through Tourism Ireland. The CEO of that organisation, Mr. Niall Gibbons, is doing an outstanding job in that regard. It seems somewhat of an anomaly, in particular, as Northern Ireland has much to offer this year, in terms of the Titanic quarter and also Derry being the city of culture next year. I urge the Leader to once again bring the issue to the attention of the relevant authorities. It is initially a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality to extend the visas and I am aware the Minister for Justice and Equality is working hard in this regard with his UK counterparts.

I agree with Senator Mullen about the extraordinary media coverage that the Irish visit received in the Chinese media, but I understand we were knocked off the headlines on the last day by the French who trumped us by giving two pandas to the Chinese. The panda is the national symbol of China and it is always a major news story. In future, the Government might be able to counter any attempt by the French to trump us by giving pandas if the Minister for Health and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government were to act as the counterparts to the French pandas on Chinese television. Perhaps it would help to bring more visitors to this part of the world. I mean that in the best possible taste.