Before we move to the next item of business, it is my pleasure, as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, to welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery His Excellency President Tô Lâm of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Céad míle fáilte roimhe chuig Teach Laighean, go mórmhór chuig an Seanad. The President is joined by a wide-ranging delegation of Ministers and officials, in particular the deputy Prime Minister and minister for foreign affairs of Vietnam who was here in February.
I also welcome the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Connolly, and the convenor of the Ireland-Vietnam friendship group, Deputy Buckley, to the Distinguished Vistors Gallery. The President is on the first day of his visit to Dublin and Europe, which shows the importance of the bilateral relationship between Ireland and Vietnam and their people. On my behalf, I thank the Vietnamese people who are living in this country and making a valued contribution to our society. We wish the President well on his visit. He spoke last night of the importance of education, culture and trade. We had a very good bilateral meeting earlier this afternoon in room 2. We wish him well on his journey around this country and in his meetings with An Taoiseach and President Higgins. We thank him for the leadership he has brought to his country. We have a shared history and a common desire for all of us to succeed to the benefit of our people. We salute the President and, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is on record as stating, the resilience of his people. Ceád míle fáilte, and welcome to Seanad Éireann.