Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Fianna Fáil spokesperson on jobs, enterprise and innovation, it is my pleasure to announce this morning that the economic viability of the village of Moneygall is guaranteed after I put my firepower as a Senator behind the campaign for appropriate signage for that village. In June I was fascinated to meet Mr. Henry Healy, President Obama's cousin. On driving down there when I arrived at the exit for Moneygall, which is only 1 km from the motorway, I was overwhelmed by the sight of the entrance. It was like the Appian Way into Rome in the olden days. The American and Irish flags were flying on the way in. The quality of the village was matched by the quality of the welcoming entrance and the relationship with the United States. I subsequently visited President Obama's ancestral homestead and was told that he shook with emotion when he put his hand on the fireplace and realised that this was the place from which his ancestors came.

For some time the Moneygall Action Group has been trying to secure signage on the motorway between Limerick and Dublin highlighting that this is the ancestral home of the President of the United States, but to date it has not achieved this. I know some people in this room go along with the Taoiseach's view that this Chamber should be abolished. I believe that as a Senator I have been very successful in delivering on issues for people throughout the country. I approached the National Roads Authority and was informed that 50,000 people needed to visit a location annually in order to justify a sign highlighting the village as an ancestral home. I then put the case to Mr. Seán Quinn of Fáilte Ireland and he agreed, as Fáilte Ireland is the driver behind The Gathering 2013. Fáilte Ireland and the National Roads Authority got together.