Opening
Mr. Speaker,
Mr. President,
Members of Congress,
Friends of Ireland,
Distinguished Guests,
I’m honoured to be here today to celebrate the feast of St. Patrick.
Thank you Speaker Boehner, for your warm hospitality.
Today here on Capitol Hill there’s what we call in Irish a sos beag a small rest in business and politics as usual.
Because today Republicans and Democrats come together to celebrate the ties that bind.
To take time for that sense of heart and soul of spirit and imagination that attached traditionally to la Fheile Padraig
And of course to the island of Ireland.
Since I was last here we lost a man who, for millions across America and across the world was God or Sage, Ruler or Citizen, of those very territories.
To us he was just Seamus Heaney. Writing about bog bodies and kites. About all the Living and all the Dead. And about ‘the state of us’ in our Irishness and our humanity.
He was a farmer’s son who made Cures at Troy and Burials at Thebes.
And who as I said on his death made miracles out of all of us. As he chatted with taxi-driver poets and the King of Sweden and Presidents of America.
Immigration as a shaping influence on the US
Presidents, who like so many of you here, form part of Heaney’s Human Chain. A chain of heritage and history, that links our two proud nations, either side of the Atlantic. Time and again, it was Ireland’s past, gave America its future.
Last year, I reminded the students in the ‘Jesuit Ivy’ of Boston College, that the hands of their forbears, were roughened in Ireland’s soil.
Then it was in America’s mines, on America’s scaffolding, and on America’s railroads, that those same hands were leathered.
On 9/11, when horror came from the sky, the Irish were among the first responders.
It’s what we do as a people. Here, and all over the world.
We show up. We step up.
And I am glad and proud to be able to say that America and Americans have done the same for us.
Go raibh maith agaibh.
Immigration reform
Today as we celebrate St Patrick, himself an immigrant, we remember our Irish-American family, who are living ‘Undocumented’.
Speaker Boehner, President Obama, you have spoken eloquently about the need to correct the unintended consequences of the 1965 Act, which made America a cold house for people who are in fact friends and family.
These issues are sensitive, complex.
Today Members of Congress I invite you to look to America’s interest and indeed that of your friends and family around the world.
Think of what Immigration reform can give your economy what it can do for jobs and growth.
Addressing the Undocumented addresses your national economic need and the very human need of our brothers and sisters.
Northern Ireland
That latter, is exactly what you’ve been doing in Northern Ireland, throughout the peace process.
This Congress this Administration have kept the faith
You’ve walked with us breathed with us sometimes we’ve held our breath together on this journey to peace and reconciliation.
Through the Good Friday Agreement, our island people sounded their commitment to peace to a society founded on mutual respect, equal rights, opportunity.
Our collective responsibility is to encourage all political parties to work that Agreement to its fullest potential.
But the challenge of leadership falls particularly to First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness with us today.
Peter, Martin, you have our full support in securing peace and prosperity.
Be assured the Irish and British governments stand with you.
Ireland’s Economic Recovery
Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, Friends, I’m pleased to say that since we met here last year, Ireland has made further progress in its economic recovery. Today our economy is growing. 61,000 jobs created in the last year alone. In US terms, that would represent an increase of more than five million extra people at work in one year. We’ve hit our deficit-reduction targets on time every time.
At the same time we’ve managed to put Ireland back on a sound financial-footing. In December, we exited the EU/IMF bailout.
The first affected-country in Europe to do so.
The exit was a significant vote of international confidence in Ireland. In January we raised €3.75 billion on the financial markets at a competitive rate. Moody’s decision to upgrade Ireland’s credit rating and to change the outlook to positive was another very positive signal to investors. The international markets are looking at Ireland and liking what they see. Europe, too, is recovering economically and like the US needs to grow more and faster if we are to provide the jobs and opportunities our people need.
Which is why the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations currently underway are so vital. Together, the US and EU have the capacity to transform our future economic relations reassert our values and set standards for global trade. Yes, these negotiations will be difficult. Congress and the new European Parliament will have the final say on this deal but we can never take our eyes off the prize.
Conclusion
Mr Speaker, it remains for me to thank you and the friends of Ireland for your support and hospitality.
On behalf of all the Irish I wish you and yours all the blessings of St Patrick.
ENDS