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Seanad Éireann · 2022-02-16

Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad

FF Fiona O'Loughlin · Administrative Panel

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Summary of this debate

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I welcome the ambassador of Lithuania to the Chamber. Another Lithuanian national day will be celebrated on 11 March and it marks the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. The Lithuanian Association in Ireland has been active since 1999.

There are 15 Lithuanian weekend schools all over the country, and Lithuanian is taught in some Irish schools. The Lithuanian Embassy opened in Ireland in 2003, and the ambassador, H.E. I wish the ambassador, all our friends in Lithuania and all Lithuanians, including those living in Ireland, and the Irish people living in Lithuania a very happy and safe Independence Day.

Built by scoring every sentence in the debate on how distinctive its language is, then quoting the highest-scoring ones back word for word and in the order spoken. Nothing is paraphrased or invented — if a sentence appears here, it was said in the chamber. Drawn from 412 words across 2 contributions by 2 speakers.

Most used terms in this debate

How often each word appears across the whole debate, ranked by how distinctive it is to this debate rather than common to all parliamentary language.

lithuanian 9
lithuania 7
ambassador 6
lithuanians 2
mullooly 2
independence 4
soviet 2
devlin 2
ireland 7
laisv 1
diena 1
lietuva 1

The full debate

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CC Mark Daly

I welcome the ambassador of Lithuania to the Chamber. Today commemorates the declaration of independence, which was signed in 1918 and re-established the state of Lithuania after nearly 150 years of Tsarist Russian occupation. Another Lithuanian national day will be celebrated on 11 March and it marks the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. Ireland never recognised the annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union.

The Lithuanian community is the second largest in this State. The Lithuanian Association in Ireland has been active since 1999. Along with more than 30 other organisations, clubs and sporting clubs, it organises gatherings, concerts and other events in Dublin, Cork, Monaghan, Portlaoise, Tullamore and other locations around Ireland. There are 15 Lithuanian weekend schools all over the country, and Lithuanian is taught in some Irish schools. This year, we celebrate more than 30 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Lithuania. The two countries have a close and friendly relationship. The Lithuanian Embassy opened in Ireland in 2003, and the ambassador, H.E. Marijus Gudynas, arrived here in 2020.

Last year, 27 members of the newly elected Lithuanian Parliament, about 20% of the total membership, formed the Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with Ireland. Members of the friendship group are here today, led by Deputy Cormac Devlin. We look forward to deepening the interparliamentary relationship with Lithuania. I wish the ambassador, all our friends in Lithuania and all Lithuanians, including those living in Ireland, and the Irish people living in Lithuania a very happy and safe Independence Day. Su laisvës diena, Lietuva . I thank the ambassador for being here today.

I ask the Acting Leader to outline the Order of Business on this Lithuanian Independence Day.

FF Fiona O'Loughlin this contribution

I add my voice of welcome to the ambassador and Deputy Devlin, and thank them for visiting us in the Seanad. I wish all Lithuanians living here well on their national day. I have the opportunity of serving on the Council of Europe, along with my esteemed colleague, Senator Joe O'Reilly, and we work very well with the Lithuanian delegation. We look forward to welcoming them in the context of 30 May, when Ireland's presidency of the Council of Europe will start. We may get to see the ambassador then.

I also extend our sympathies to Brian Mullooly, former Senator and Cathaoirleach, on the passing of his wife, Nancy. She is being laid to rest today, and we are thinking of the Mullooly family in their time of bereavement.

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