James Heffernan (Labour)

It was with great interest that I saw the Seanad Chamber in all its glory when I turned on my television the other day. When I noticed that every chair in the House was filled, I wondered whether somebody had failed to tell me about something. When I realised that the Chamber was being used for the 44th plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I was glad it was getting that kind of coverage.

Senator Daly mentioned that today marks the anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings of 1974. Some 33 civilians were murdered and approximately 300 people were injured in that horrible atrocity. It has to be noted that nobody has ever been convicted of those crimes. We should keep pursuing the matter.

I was pleased to see the Seanad Chamber full of parliamentarians from Britain and Ireland. Since 2001, parliamentarians from Northern Ireland, the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Parliament and the assemblies in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey have participated in the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. It goes to show how far we have moved with our neighbours across the water. We have developed a much more cordial relationship with them. We have a closer working relationship as well.

The British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron, has said the mutual dependence of our economies is widely recognised on both sides of the Irish Sea. He has mentioned that the value of Britain's exports to Ireland exceeds the combined value of its exports to the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. That shows how much we depend on one another. It is important for us to continue to work together. The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly is an important cog in that regard because it brings parliamentarians together.

I note that this week's session of the assembly was addressed by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar. He spoke about the historic visit to this country of Queen Elizabeth. He mentioned that the Olympic flame, which is an internationally recognised symbol of unity, co-operation and friendship, will be carried through the streets of this city and other cities and towns on both parts of the island. This fantastic event for the country, North and South, will have to be welcomed.

As Senator Paul Coghlan said, the theme of the session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly was making business easier between Great Britain and Ireland. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, made an interesting point in his remarks when he referred to the opportunity to attract high-value, high-spending visitors to both islands from rapidly growing countries like Brazil, Russia, China and India. He said he wants to find a way to facilitate that. The common travel agreement for our own citizens is beneficial to us, but it does not help a person from China who wants to visit Dublin. Such a person would need a separate visa for every country in Europe, even if he or she wanted to cross the Border to see the Bushmills distillery or the Giant's Causeway. The Minister's announcement of the provision of a visa waiver in such circumstances is an important step forward.

I am glad the next session of the assembly to be held in Ireland will take place in the spring of next year and will tie in with the massive Gathering extravaganza that has been promised. As part of that event, people from all corners of the globe will be encouraged to come back to Ireland. It will be vital to get people to come back here and to invest in our country. I look forward to that.

I am not a member of the assembly, unfortunately. I would have had an interest in it. I was glad to be asked to contribute to this morning's debate. I am impressed by the extent to which the assembly is sensitive to people's sensibilities in advance of the various centenary celebrations in the coming years. I have to give a plug to my party's involvement in one of the first of those celebrations this year - the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Labour Party. Given that the centenaries of momentous occasions like the Battle of the Somme and the 1916 Rising could provoke division rather than understanding, it is important that the advisory group on centenary celebrations will consider the context and the tone of those celebrations and will make sure such events are marked on an all-island basis, as much as possible. When the group is making its recommendations, it needs to take account of the fact that events like the 1916 Rising, the 1913 Lockout and the Battle of the Somme were part of a bigger global picture, especially as we often tend to be insular about our history.

Having spoken to some of those who attended this week's session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, it seems to have been a successful occasion. I wish the assembly continued success. The work it has done since its foundation to promote understanding and peace between our peoples cannot be under-estimated. We have come a long way since its foundation. We must welcome that and wish it continued success into the future.