Joe O'Reilly urges debate on Irish diaspora before St Patrick's

The time of year now is looming as St. Patrick's Day approaches when office holders of this house, the other house and ministers of the government will visit all over the world and showcase all that is good about Ireland and very importantly meet the diaspora in those countries. In our Irish diaspora, not only do we have a debt to them in the sense that they are our own kinship and they had to often leave in difficult times, but apart from that they are a great resource for Ireland abroad, they are great ambassadors for Ireland, they are very good at marketing Ireland abroad, they are very good lobbyists for Ireland abroad, they are very good at themselves showcasing Ireland, they are very actively promoting Ireland abroad and they maintain a loyalty to the home country and a patriotism and it's quite wonderful. In the light of that, I am asking the leader to arrange a debate on the role of the Irish diaspora internationally, how we can tap in more to the resource that they are, how we can be supportive of them and how we can have tighter links with them. I think it is incumbent on us to have this debate leader and I would ask you to request the Minister, with responsibility for the diaspora, Minister Neil Richmond, to come in. We are worthy to come in for this debate and if we could have it before St. Patrick's Day leader, it would be much more apt so that people in this chamber right across of all political parties and none could come forward and give their ideas of what should be said to the diaspora and what we should be asking from the diaspora and what we should be offering the diaspora. I had occasion last year and indeed I was accompanied on that occasion by newly elected Senator Sarah O'Reilly over there, among others, we went over to meet the cabin diaspora in New York and joined them on the parade and we all did it in our own time and of our own initiative and it was wonderful. They enjoyed, they were delighted that we were there to help to lead the parade. We immensely enjoyed meeting them, interacting with them and I think Sarah, if she were addressing this question on another occasion, would testify to how impactful the whole thing was and how valuable it was in terms of the tourism product, in terms of potential investment in this country and it is an important thing. The thing I've most enjoyed in my public life down the years are the visits to our diaspora, whether it's in London, Luton and right through America, it's something very special. So I'm asking the Leader to invite Minister Neil Richmond, who is a former distinguished member of this House and I think will bring great energy to his new department to bring him in here to discuss this topic and if we could do it before St. Patrick's Day it would make more sense. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ,ста