I move:
That, to welcome His Excellency Francois Mitterrand, President of the French Republic, to Ireland and to mark his visit in a signal manner, a joint sitting of both Houses of the Oireachtas be held in the Dáil Chamber on Friday, 26 February 1988, and that the President of the French Republic be invited to address such joint sitting; that the proceedings at such joint sitting shall consist of a speech by the Ceann Comhairle welcoming the President, the address by the President and a speech of thanks by the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad for the address; and that the time of such joint sitting shall be 3 p.m.
Next week the President of the French Republic, Mr. Francois Mitterrand, will visit this country in his capacity as Head of State of France. It will be the first ever visit to our country by a French President in office and I know that the entire House will wish to warmly welcome President Mitterrand and offer him all the honour and courtesy appropriate to his high Office.
The President will come here as the representative of a great nation that has contributed immeasurably to international advancement, and to the philosophy and culture of humanity. His visit will mark the unique and enduring realtionship between France and Ireland — a relationship that can be traced back to the beginning of European history.
Those early settlers who established in the Boyne Valley in Neolithic times and created there a vibrant culture whose traces can still be seen today are likely to have come from Brittany. From France, too, came the Celts or, at least, many of them and much later, the Normans — two waves of settlement that had a profound effect on the course of Irish history and the character of our race. Indeed so fruitful has been the intellectual, cultural and artistic exchange that it is difficult to think of a major Irish writer or artist who has not worked or studied in France.
In the political field France provided a refuge for Irish exiles during the most difficult moments in our history. It was there that members of Ireland's leading families fled in the 17th century after the collapse of the Gaelic nation; and later France provided a haven for thousands of our people who had been forced by penal legislation and persecution to seek refuge abroad. Many of these "wild geese" played a distinguished role in the armies of France from the 17th to the early 19th centuries. Many more went on to study at the great Irish colleges there and subsequently returned to lead the Irish Church.
But France was more than a refuge. It was also a source of aid and, perhaps more importantly, of political ideas. The ideas of French republicanism were to endure and ultimately to succeed. The democratic republic that Ireland is today owes much to the ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity developed in France 200 years ago.
Today, the relationship between France and Ireland is closer than ever. France is our fourth largest trading partner and an important source of foreign investment and tourist revenue. Our two countries are partners in the European Communities and share a joint commitment to the task of building a peaceful and prosperous Europe. In the week after a difficult but successful European Council, I can say that French and Irish interests proved once again to complement one another and that the Irish and French delegations worked together effectively and in a spirit of great understanding and friendship. We now look forward to co-operating further with France in putting into effect the decisions of the European Council and achieving the ambitious targets set out in the Single European Act.
President Mitterrand's visit will provide an opportunity to reflect on and further strengthen the links between our two countries and to celebrate a relationship that has endured over many centuries. His coming will be an honour and I believe it should be marked in a signal way by inviting him to address a joint sitting of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
