Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I am standing here feeling a little bit blue - even my attire is a little bit blue - because I am leaving all of my Seanad colleagues. I have been here as a member of the Civil Engagement group for the past three years. I am honoured to have been a member of that active and inspiring group of Members comprising Senators Ruane, Black, Higgins, Dolan and Kelleher. They have really helped me in pursuing my aims here in Seanad Éireann. I thank everyone in the Seanad who has collaborated with me on much legislation. The first legislative measure I brought before the House was the Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill 2016. That was three years ago. Although the Bill did not make much headway, thanks to the support of other Senators the public awareness relating to it was sufficient to give it the wind it needed to become the legislation the Government has brought forward today.

Another Bill I introduced and for which we fought tooth and nail was the Heritage Bill 2016. That legislation dealt with biodiversity and the hedgerows. Again, I received huge support from many of the parties here in the Seanad and our efforts encouraged a great deal of awareness among people of the issue of biodiversity decline . I remember the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation coming in and giving us support, as did BirdWatch Ireland, An Taisce and many other groups. In the Civil Engagement group, we have been active in expanding the range of issues with which the Seanad has been dealing.

I thank the Leader, Senator Buttimer, who has been very fair and good to me during the past three years. I also thank the Clerk of the Seanad, Martin Groves, Bridget Doody and all the staff who have been good and supportive. I also thank the visitors in the Gallery who have been a huge support to me. They are my friends from Tramore and Waterford and they have helped me get elected as a Member of the European Parliament, MEP. The first time I entered politics was in the 2014 European elections. I did not get elected on that occasion but I did not give up and, with the resilience and experience I built up in the aftermath of that election, I found my way to the Seanad. With the support and help of all my colleagues in the Seanad, I am going to the place where I feel I will work most effectively, namely, the European Parliament. That will be formalised on 10 July.

I am so proud to have had the honour, privilege and experience of being in Seanad Éireann. To anyone who reads the words of the transcript of these proceedings, to anyone who sees my presentation today and to everyone in Ireland who is over 18 - and I hope that in time those over 16 can vote - I say that politics can be a positive place. It can be a place of action where things happen and where people should put themselves forward. We live in a democracy and if people want change, I say that they should get involved in making the change themselves.

I look forward to being in the European Parliament and to representing the people of the 12 counties of Ireland South. I will be reporting back as often as I can so that people will know what Grace O'Sullivan, the Irish MEP for Ireland South, is doing over the coming five years.