Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I call on the Deputy Leader for the Order of Business, I wish to inform the House that today is Croatia's national day, Statehood Day. The day commemorates when the first multi-party parliament was constituted in 1990, an event that paved the way for democratic change, freedom and independence in Croatia. As small nations that struggled for so long for independence, Ireland and Croatia share a common bond. Next year we mark the 30th anniversary of Ireland's recognition of Croatia as an independent state but our links go back further. Count Laval Nugent, born in Westmeath in 1777, was a field marshal in the Austrian Army. He was a strong advocate for Croatian nationhood and served as a member of the Croatian Parliament. We share a love of language and culture. The Croatian language is an examination subject in our schools. A statute of one of Ireland's greatest writers, James Joyce, stands in the city of Pula, commemorating his time there. Eight Croatian cities took part in the global greening initiative to mark St. Patrick's Day, reflecting the growing friendship between our two countries.

We wish the Ambassador, H.E. Vidiš, the Croatian community in Ireland and the Croatian community throughout the world a happy Statehood Day. Sretan Dan državnosti.