Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to the House. I thank her for her co-operation in terms of allowing the legislation to swiftly pass through the House.

I commend my colleague, Senator Keith Swanick, for putting together this important legislation and I hope it comes to fruition very shortly. It is important that we commemorate the first sitting of the Dáil on 21 January 1919. The one thing that the Senator did not allude to in his contribution today, which he has done on numerous occasions, is the fact that we do not seek the day to be designated a public holiday and simply want it to be commemorated. As he alluded to, many countries celebrate their independence day or, if they do not have an independence day, the day is celebrated and they also have a national memorial day.

I wish to take this opportunity to welcome to the House Senator Swanick's wife Aislinn, his son, Julian, and his daughter, Rosa Pearl, who are here to commemorate this great occasion. Once again, I commend the Senator and my co-signatories to this Bill. Finally, I thank the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for allowing the legislation to be passed unanimously.