Mr. Drew Nelson:

I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me an opportunity to respond to Senators. I realised this morning that the Oireachtas has three Houses, the third of which is Áras an Uachtaráin. We have received at least 14 previous invitations to visit Áras an Uachtaráin, but this is the first time we have been invited to Leinster House. I want to pay tribute to the efforts of President McAleese and Senator McAleese in issuing those invitations, which started to open the lines of communication in a formal way and led to what is happening today. The two university representatives who spoke are welcome to inspect our membership books for Trinity College LOL. One of the signatures in the books shows that Isaac Butt was a member. Senators might be surprised to learn that Seán O'Casey was a member of the Orange institution for some time. Perhaps most of them knew that already. Maybe none of them knew.

Senator McAleese asked me to speak about what things will be like 25 years from now. It is not pretty. I honestly think we are moving into a time when the power of the nation-state will decline. There will be more links between states. The Irish Republic will probably be a member of the Commonwealth by that time. The most worrying thing is that we will see more poverty. The balance of economic power in the world is going to move east. It is happening every day. It could be seen yesterday when it was announced that 260 jobs at FG Wilson, which is the largest manufacturer in Belfast, are to move to China. I think people will probably have a lower standard of living than they have had for the last 25 years. I am one of the lucky generation. The best year to be born in the United Kingdom was 1948. Those born in that year have enjoyed the benefits of the National Health Service throughout their lives. When they got a job, it was probably a job for life. They have been able to avail of early retirement opportunities and good pensions. None of those is guaranteed into the future, with the possible exception of the National Health Service.

The employment and economic prospects of the generation of people who are now in their teens and their 20s are nothing like what they were for most of my generation. I have mentioned some of the challenges to be faced by civic society in Ireland, such as the development of relationships with the Protestant community and with the Orange institution. Those challenges are minuscule - they are nothing - compared with what needs to be done to ensure those who are currently in their teens and their 20s will be able to have a decent standard of living. I am not a political prophet - it would be a foolish and short-lived occupation to engage in - but I honestly think the next 25 years are going to be more difficult for Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and western Europe. As economic issues come to the fore and economies depend on each other to an increasing extent, more co-operation will be needed. I expect that the constitutional difficulties which have plagued relationships within Ireland for over 100 years will assume less importance and the economic difficulties I have alluded to will assume more importance. As one set of problems faced by the communities within these islands subsides, another set of problems will emerge.

On behalf of the delegation from the Orange institution that is here today, I thank everyone for hearing us so politely and graciously. I thank the Senators who have made contributions, some of which were quite frank. When I was down here last week and when I met the Cathaoirleach previously, I said there was no point in coming here for an exercise in back-slapping or issuing platitudes. There are problems. It is not right to brush them under the carpet. I appreciate what people have said about the difficulties and challenges that exist. I hope this will be part of an ongoing engagement Our members in the Republic are still there. They continue to have problems. I do not doubt that new ones will arise. We will wish to articulate those problems and the views of our members to civic society in Ireland.