14 Aib 2023, 09:20
A Uachtaráin Biden, thar ceann Chomhaltaí an dá Theach agus thar mo cheann féin, gabhaim buíochas leat as an onóir a thabhairt dúinn a bheith inár láthair inniu agus aitheasc a thabhairt don chomhshuí seo.
President Biden, as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, and on behalf of Members of Seanad Éireann and Dáil Éireann, I thank you for honouring us today with your presence, and for addressing both Houses of the Oireachtas.
It is obvious that you have a genuine, personal pride in your Irish ancestry. Today I think of the wider Irish diaspora in America who share that same pride. Your presence in this chamber acknowledges the story of emigration as the shared story of our two nations.
This week we turn another page of history together by commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. We welcome your visit as a reminder of the role the United States played - and continues to play - as a broker of peace. Too many of us still remember the terrible violence that devastated our communities for decades. We must persist in our work of peace and reconciliation to ensure the positive legacy of the Good Friday Agreement can be fully realised.
President Biden, you said recently about the United States: Our diversity is, and has always been, our greatest strength as a nation. You have shown that you value and respect diversity. On a personal level, I want to thank you for being one of the first leaders to publicly support marriage equality. In your “Meet the Press” interview in 2012, you reframed the debate as a simple proposition: Who do you love, and will you be loyal to the person you love? With this statement, you held aloft your respect for diversity, and others followed. This was truly a transformative moment that changed the political narrative around marriage equality. Thank you for your leadership and courage.
There is an old Irish proverb ‘Anáil na beatha an t-athrú’ or ‘Change is the breath of life’. Looking ahead, we know that change will be constant. And we will embrace that and keep our positivity. We will continue to value and strengthen our special relationship with the United States as we work together on shared global challenges.
President Biden, I hope that you and your family enjoy your visit to Ireland, your ancestral home.
Thank you for addressing the Houses of the Oireachtas. Go raibh míle maith agat, a Uachtaráin. Slán agus beannacht leat. Beir Bua.