Order of Business
The Cathaoirleach marked Koningsdag and Senator Doherty proposed the Order of Business, which was accepted. Her remarks on the day’s motions were accompanied by a light exchange about Dutch tulips and the Netherlands.
Koningsdag, or King's Day, is the national holiday in the Netherlands, celebrating the birth of King Willem-Alexander. On Koningsdag the Dutch turn their country orange in the same way we turn the world green on our national day. The friendship between the Irish and the Dutch is long and enduring. Together we have worked closely to protect our citizens and our countries from the impact of Brexit.
The Irish Embassy in The Hague was opened in 1950, with one of the first female ambassadors anywhere in the world, Josephine McNeill. The State visit by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima in 2019 further strengthened and deepened the relationships between our two countries. King Willem-Alexander's relationship with Ireland goes a lot further back. As a young boy he would visit Kenmare and Sneem in County Kerry. We look forward to welcoming him back again soon, once travel restrictions are lifted.
I wish His Excellency Dr. Adriaan Palm, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ireland, all the Dutch people living in the Kenmare area, of whom there are many, and all the Dutch people living in Ireland and in the Netherlands, a very happy King's Day, or fijne Koningsdag.
I now invite the Leader for Order of Business.
Comment on this
Happy Koningsdag also to your good self. I thank the Cathaoirleach for raising it this morning. Anyone who knows my part of the world will know there are fields and fields of beautiful tulips in Rush and the areas surrounding Rush. Once we get out of our 20 km zone and when inter-county travel convenes again, people might go to have a look. It is beautiful.
The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the arrangements for the sitting of the House this Friday, 30 April, 2021, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding Ireland's opt into a Europol regulation, to be taken at 1.30 p.m. and to conclude at 2.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening contribution of the Minister not to exceed five minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no less than five minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, Criminal Procedure Bill 2021 - Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and adjourn at 4 p.m., if not previously concluded, and Private Members' business, No. 55, motion 9, re An Post, to be taken at 4.15 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.