Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Norris's proposal is a an excellent one. Pope Francis recently appealed to the Lord to grant us more politicians with integrity and courage in order that we might try to eliminate poverty. That leads me on to the request I made yesterday that the House should engage in a debate on poverty, particularly in view of the fact that this is a difficult time of year for many people. In that context, I wish to encourage and support the Samaritans on the work they do. The Samaritans have left an indelible mark on the hearts of the people. Indeed, they have helped thousands of Irish citizens. The care branch of the Samaritans is probably one of the busiest parts of the organisation in the context of the work it does. It is one of the branches selected to role out the new pan-European Samaritans freephone service. I wish the Samaritans well in this endeavour and I take this opportunity to congratulate the volunteers in the Clare branch who do wonderful work in providing a 24-7 service.

This will be the final Order of Business of the current session. It is always important to end on a positive note. In that context, I wish all of the people who help us and work with is - the staff, the ushers and so on - a very happy Christmas. We have a great deal to be thankful for as 2013 draws to a close. Significant progress has occurred during the past 12 months and the Taoiseach has provided the country with very strong and courageous leadership. He has outlined what we have achieved and his vision for the future in his state of the nation address on Sunday night last. That address went down exceptionally well. The Gathering was one of the highlights of 2013 and it led to an increase in the number of tourists who visited Ireland. What has been achieved is significant. Many more people came to the country during the The Gathering than was originally envisaged. I am of the view that what is going to happen in 2014 will be even better. I would like a significant proportion of the €1.1 billion obtained through the sale of Bord Gáis to be invested in winter and summer tourism projects, such as those involving the provision of greenways.