Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will say this before I ask the Leader to respond on the Order of Business. In 1843, brothers Patrick, Michael and James arrived in Canada. They ended up in a place called Mount St. Patrick, appropriate for Irish immigrants, which is in the heart of the Ottawa Valley. One of their descendants is here in the Gallery today. I am delighted to welcome James Maloney from our Canada-Ireland Interparliamentary Group who is here with us today, along with some distinguished colleagues from Canada. Once upon a time, some of the cities in Canada had more Irish people living in them than Irish cities had themselves. James has led the friendship group in Canada for many years. It celebrates St. Patrick's Day. I did not realise that Newfoundland and Labrador celebrates St. Patrick's Day as one of its holidays; "national holidays" is not quite correct but it is close enough. Only ourselves, that province and Montserrat in the Caribbean, for all sorts of different reasons, celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday. Of course, Canada celebrates St. Patrick's Day like many countries around the world.

We celebrate the ongoing links in trade and education, but also the role of General de Chastelain in the peace process. We remember the quiet work of a Canadian who in many senses managed to put guns beyond use in Northern Ireland, which many people believed was impossible. We fondly remember the work carried out with distinction by General de Chastelain in the service of peace in Ireland. Mr. Maloney's presence here today is part of that ongoing link. One of the many legacies of the emigrants who went to Canada was the building of St. Patrick's Basilica in Montreal, where former Prime Minister Mulroney's funeral mass took place earlier this year. It was fitting and appropriate that the song "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" was sung there by his granddaughter.

While we are here to discuss trade and ongoing engagement, we are very conscious of your contribution in the past, the present and the future. I thank Mr. Maloney and the whole delegation for being here for what I can honestly say is the shortest Order of Business in the history of the Seanad. We have heard from two Senators, in addition to the Leader and myself. The delegation being here has doubled the length of time of the Order of Business. Never in my 17-year history in the Seanad have I seen just two contributions. My contribution is now longer than the entire contribution of everybody else, which is quite an achievement.

As we glance back, we look forward to the ongoing relationship. Mr. Maloney said that as a result of the trade agreements we have made, Ireland is a gateway to Europe for Canadian companies and a place for Canadian citizens to come and be most welcome. I thank them for being here today. I now ask the Leader to respond on the Order of Business.