Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste is very welcome to the Seanad. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I wish him well in his brief, which has suddenly become more challenging.

Commuting to the House this morning, I looked at people on their daily commute to their places of study and work, or wherever they were going. I genuinely wondered whether this is a moment in time where there is a before and an after in terms of things changing in all of our lives. I was also buoyed by a sense of confidence that we will get through this. Then I thought of the families trying to go about their daily business in Ukraine and in Gaza but cannot do so. When we compare where we are with their situation, there is no doubt we will be able to find a roadmap that will help us on the way.

Recently I came across an old seanfhocail - "Níl tuile dá mhéad nach dtránn" or "Every tide has its ebb". Essentially, the message is that situations change, there is always transition, and we will have bad times as well as good times but the bad times always go away and we have the opportunity to come back. When we reflect on why so many companies chose to come to Ireland it was not just for tax reasons. It was because of our educated workforce and quality of life. It is also because we are seen as an open market to Europe and we are an English-speaking country. We have all of those advantages and will continue to have them.

There is no doubt that we need to wear the green jersey in both Houses and in this country. We also need to wear the European jersey and work and negotiate together. I have no doubt that under the calm and composed leadership of An Taoiseach and the calm, assured stewardship of the Tánaiste and the Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs, Deputy Thomas Byrne, we will be able to plan a roadmap going forward. I know the work that the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister of State started in preparation for the announcement last night and the meetings that will continue over the next 48 hours. That has to give us courage. The country has seen very difficult times but our greatest strength is our people. We are a resilient people.

The Tánaiste is right to talk about the agrifood industry and the concerns in that regard. In County Kildare our agricultural output provides almost 2,000 jobs in food and drink processing. That is, therefore, a concern. The Tánaiste also spoke, rightly, about the small businesses we have in this country. We must be concerned for small businesses that export. There are also small businesses that do not export but which rely on the very large companies we have here through foreign direct investment to be able to continue.This is a time that we absolutely need to focus on all of those businesses. Throughout the past few years, and particularly since the start of the Covid pandemic, our local enterprise offices have really come into their own. I know in my own case, through the head of enterprise in the Kildare LEO, Jacqui McNabb, and through Kildare Chamber of Commerce, that we have been able to help and support a lot of businesses develop and grow. We need to put more resources in, we need to put in more supports for, and we need to show confidence in our own Irish businesses to show how we see them as the way forward, as well as looking at open markets. I started with a seanfhocail that I had recently come across. I will end with one that we are all familiar with, which is, ní neart go cur le chéile. We need to be, and must be, united in this.