Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before I call the Leader to outline the proposed Order of Business, I welcome the Austrian ambassador, H.E. Ms Melitta Schubert. Austria will be celebrating its national day at the weekend. We are truly honoured because the ambassador is a descendant of the composer, Schubert. Not only that, but her grandfather sang in front of the Emperor of Austria in the Vienna Boys' Choir 100 years ago. That was 100 years after Schubert did exactly the same thing. Schubert is famous for "An die Musik" and many other compositions.

Ambassador, we are greatly honoured to have you here today to mark your country's upcoming national day. The links between Ireland and Austria go all the way back to the Irish monks. St. Colman was martyred in Vienna in 1012. Some of the Wild Geese made it all the way to Austria, leaving behind names such as O'Donnell, Lacy and Kavanagh. Because he saved the life of Emperor Franz Josef in 1853, Maximilian O'Donnell became a count of the Austrian Empire. As a result of that and of the support that Austria has given to Ireland, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, we are grateful to have the ambassador here today and to mark her country's national day. I thank her for being here.

I call the Deputy Leader on the Order of Business.