Mr Speaker,
It is a great honour for me to be with you here today on Capitol Hill to celebrate St Patricks Day, in the presence of the President, of Cardinal McCarrick and of so many of your colleagues from the House and Senate. I also see a number of very familiar faces from Ireland, North and South. In fact, I am tempted to say that the island of Ireland has moved headquarters to Washington for the day.
This is a day when we celebrate the long-standing and deep connections between our two countries and peoples. We also recognise, Mr Speaker, the help and assistance that America has offered to Ireland over the years. Waves of Irish emigrants came to America in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Ireland can never forget the generosity and welcome shown to its people by America.
And this generosity has extended well into recent times. Mr Speaker, I thanked the President this morning for his help with the peace process in Northern Ireland and I must now express my gratitude to you for the constructive and sustained role that Congress has played over the years. We in Ireland know that on Capitol Hill, and across party lines, we have a committed and helpful supporter of the process. I thank you for this.
The United States has supported the peace process not only politically but also financially. The ongoing support of Congress and the Administration for the International Fund for Ireland is concrete and tangible evidence of your concern. The Fund has done great work building the peace, project by project, over the years. It continues to underpin and sustain the political effort.
The story of the Northern Ireland peace process is one of some considerable success. In the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, a society in conflict set out the ground rules for the road forward. It did this in a way that was designed to accommodate the competing constitutional and political aspirations of both communities. The Agreement promotes respect for, and tolerance of, the others views and identity.
We have come a long way since 1998 and there is no going back. We have built a precious peace process in Ireland. My Government is determined to protect and promote it. The challenge now is to overcome the current difficulties and finish the job, once and for all.
I am convinced that the key to overcoming these difficulties is renewed partnership.
There is no half-way house between violence and democracy. Nor can there be a lasting solution without inclusion. For the republican movement and, indeed, for loyalism - this means bringing a definitive closure to paramilitarism. For unionism it means committing to a stable partnership based on the inclusion of those whose electoral mandate gives them a right of participation. This is the nub of where we are at, at the moment. Resolving the impasse on these two related issues would liberate the political process.
Todays Ireland feels as close as ever to the United States. We are joined not only by the bonds of kinship but by those of trade and investment, tourism and travel, music and song, film and dance. Irish investments in the United States are associated with the employment of some 65,000 people, just as US investments in Ireland account for around 100,000 employed. We are glad to be considered a gateway to the European market by many American companies a market that will increase to some 450 million people with the enlargement of the European Union on the 1st of May. Our tourism traffic continues to build and the improved Irish economy has meant that Ireland has actually been a net immigration country in recent years.
In short, Mr Speaker, Irish American relations seem to be doing very well indeed and I know that with your support, and that of the President, they will continue on that path.
Finally, Mr Speaker, Ireland is pleased at this moment to hold the Presidency of the European Union. As we celebrate today the ties between Ireland and the United States, I am conscious also of the wider transatlantic relationship. I am committed during Irelands term of office as Presidency of the European Union to do everything in my power to promote this indispensable relationship. I believe that the EU-US Summit that I will host with President Bush in Ireland in June will allow us to do just that and I look forward to welcoming the President to our shores for this important occasion.
The people of the United States and Europe share a common heritage and common aspirations. We have also share a common determination to overcome the evils of terrorism. We have both been victims of enormous outrages against our peoples. Last week saw an appalling act of terrorism in Madrid. Many were reminded of the horrors of 9/11. Today, as we celebrate Irelands Patron Saint, our thoughts and prayers are also with the people of Spain.
Thank You.
ENDS