Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also send my condolences to the families of the woman and young children who perished in Clondalkin. It is very sad. Sometimes we need to reflect on the fact that these awful things happen. We must do everything we can to try to ensure that they do not happen again.

As we approach St. Patrick's Day and the St. Patrick's Day events, I note that the week is an important one for the island of Ireland and our diaspora. I pay tribute to the organisations and Ministers that are selling Ireland abroad. I do not normally agree with Senator Leyden, but I do agree that the LW radio is very important. From my trips to Kilburn and the United Kingdom, I know that they are much more in contact and in touch with what is happening in this country. Senator Gavan would agree. They haveThe Irish Postand get the local newspapers sent weekly. I pay tribute to those involved in new media. In my town of Boyle, we haverealboyle.comand boyletoday.com. The information on those websites is invaluable to the diaspora living in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The men and women providing the websites are providing another way of communication and such websites are to be found in every town and village throughout the country. It is a new medium. Given that we are coming up to St. Patrick's Day, I note that they are providing an absolutely wonderful service.

The election in Northern Ireland was a good one for nationalism, Sinn Féin, especially, and the SDLP. However, I think the people in Northern Ireland also came out to vote because they were unhappy about the result in the Brexit vote. Much of it was a Brexit issue. All I can say is that there will be interesting times ahead on the two islands.