MICHAEL D. HIGGINS PRESIDENT OF IRELAND

That this House welcomes the election of Michael D. Higgins as President of Ireland as a beacon for reason, tolerance and decency on these islands and throughout the Irish diaspora; hears his call for reflection on those values and assumptions for which the people have and are paying a high social and economic price; shares his vision for the reconnection of society, economy and ethics; applauds his belief in an Irishness as love for a shared island, with shared values of equality, respect and participation in active citizenship; and further applauds his belief in an Irishness built on recognising sources from which spring the best in reason and curiosity, a powerful instinct for decency, the celebration of power in the pursuit of the best and the power of culture, science and technology delivered through the contemporary genius of the people.