Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by Senator Healy Eames. I join with other colleagues in welcoming the return to work of Ms Jody Blake and I wish her well. I send my condolences to Senator Eamonn Coghlan on the death of his mother. I was not aware of it until the Government Whip informed me. I wish our colleague, Senator Jimmy Harte, very best wishes for his recovery in Beaumont Hospital. I understand he is making great progress. We wish him well and look forward to having him back here in the Chamber as soon as possible.

I welcome the proposed state visit by President Higgins to England next year. He will be the first President of Ireland to do so. I welcome the progress in the relations between our two islands, in particular, during the past two decades. I wish the Government well and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar and his colleagues, in their application to be joint hosts with Northern Ireland of the 2023 rugby world cup. This would be a great occasion for our island and it offers very great tourism potential and media exposure. We are too small to apply to host any of the other major international tours except for the cricket tour. My leader has informed me that we are quite capable of hosting it and maybe we should apply to host a future one.