I thank the Cathaoirleach and my colleagues for their good wishes. I hope to return full-time in the autumn.

At the beginning of the year, in January, I raised the question of a visit by His Holiness Pope Francis to Ireland. On 18 February the request was put through the Committee on Procedure and Privileges unanimously. On 19 February it went through the House unanimously and was sent to the Government. I would like to have an answer on it, or at least a partial one. I would like to see some movement by the Government. All of the churches have welcomed my call and stated it would be very good if the visit could take place. Remarkably, the leader of the DUP, Mr. Peter Robinson, has said he would meet the Pope. That would be a considerable advance in the complex structures of Northern Ireland. The attitude of the people is very positive. The Pope is a man who is not stifled by bureaucracy and whom I believe would definitely come if he received an invitation. However, we are being stymied by the attitude of the Government. The Committee on Procedure and Privileges has twice contacted it and requested an update. All it has received is an acknowledgement, which is extraordinary. It is part of the Government's arrogant attitude. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin raised the issue-----

The matter will arise at the meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges later today. We will receive an update on it.

Yes, but I imagine it will be another acknowledgement. Therefore, I want to push for a visit through this public forum and let the people of Ireland know that the Government is sitting on the matter and doing nothing. We have a new Minister from my county, County Laois, who may have something done about it. At this juncture, I wish him and all of the other new Ministers well. However, I would like to see a little action. There is a kind of selective democracy. The Church of Ireland Archbishop repeatedly asked about Bethany Home, as I did, but the Government ignored him. I cannot imagine it ignoring the Roman Catholic archbishop.

There was a question on the process of nomination regarding the presidency and its financing. I have no intention of running for the presidency again. Some 96% of the people at the Constitutional Convention supported a motion in my name in this regard, but the Government did nothing with it. It has done the same on the Pope's visit, which is most regrettable. I ask for some action. If the Government does not want the visit to take place, let it have the courage to state it does not want to have the Pope in Ireland and sign in the name of its constituent parties, Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party.