Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure if it has been done already, but I congratulate the Irish rugby team on its amazing grand slam victory. It is only the fourth time in its history for the team to have done it. I congratulate the team's captain, Johnny Sexton, the coach, Andy Farrell, and the entire team. They lifted the spirits of the nation enormously on what was an important weekend, winning the grand slam for the first time on St. Patrick's weekend in the Aviva Stadium against England in the last match. Congratulations should go from all of us on behalf of Seanad Éireann.

You, a Chathaoirligh, represented the country abroad, as did many others. We should acknowledge how much value we get as a country from all the people, including you, a Chathaoirligh, all the Ministers, Ministers of State, and the Ceann Comhairle, who go abroad to represent us. As somebody said, imagine how much money Coca-Cola would pay to get a river turned its colour and Times Square covered in its branding, which we get for nothing as a nation on every continent right across the world. It is so important and it is very valuable. I give credit to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, and everybody involved in all the various missions, including you, a Chathaoirligh, and all you have done.

Many of us are wearing our daffodil pins today and various daffodil paraphernalia. I wish the Irish Cancer Society the best of luck on Friday. I was talking to people involved in it this morning at the fundraiser downstairs. It has a challenge it did not have previously because an awful lot of people do not go to work on Fridays, as they work from home. The fundraising that naturally occurs on a Friday will get a lot less footfall. I ask people to think about that and perhaps to go online and do it in other ways, for example, support it on a Thursday, or whatever else. I do not think there is a family in Ireland that has not been touched by cancer. The Irish Cancer Society does great work and I would like to support it.