Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As well as wishing everybody a happy Christmas and all the best in 2025, I welcome H.E. Ms Kara Owen, the Ambassdor of the United Kingdom to Ireland. The ambassador is most welcome to Seanad Éireann today. We are delighted to have her in here on this, our last day before the recess. Before we get into 2026, we look forward to working with the ambassador in relation to sustaining the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement, which was only made possible through the great collaboration between the British and Irish Governments, the European Union and the United States of America. I said to the ambassador earlier - I do not think I am breaking confidence - that we miss the United Kingdom in the European Union. We are sorry that it left but I thank the ambassador for her co-operation when it comes to the outworkings of Brexit. It is very important that the Border between the North and South remains open to prevent a return to the violence we fought so hard to get rid of. I invite the Leas-Chathaoirleach to say a few words of welcome to the ambassador, if that is okay.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome H.E. Ms Owen and her team here today. I had the pleasure of meeting with her recently in Limerick when she was there for the Joining the Dots programme, which is a very important economic programme. It showed the contact between the business community, which came together not only from Limerick and the region but also businesses from the UK. It was a very successful two days in Limerick. I wish the ambassador and her staff a very happy Christmas and I am certainly looking forward to working with them into the new year. I hope they enjoy their visit to the Oireachtas today.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As the Leader of the House is here, I ask him to say a few words of welcome to the ambassador.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the ambassador. I had the pleasure meeting her and her delegation at a recent joint meeting of Galway County and City Councils. I know she had a large number of meetings on that day as well and that she is doing a very comprehensive tour of the country. I welcome the ambassador and her staff and wish them a happy Christmas.