Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate one of our country's oldest friends and allies, Ireland. The ties that bind our two countries are many; they are economic, historical, cultural and emotional.
In 1866, the first transatlantic cable between Europe and North America connected Canada and Ireland. Irish Canadians helped build our country. During challenging economic times, Canada and Ireland have stood together to ensure our nations thrive.
The resolution of the troubles in Northern Ireland was a result of a common desire for peace and hard work, and Canada was there. This led to the historic Good Friday agreement, signed almost 30 years ago. A Canadian general, General John de Chastelain, helped steer that process and was responsible for getting the guns out of Northern Ireland.
Today, we welcome the Irish Taoiseach, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, to Ottawa to join with Canada in our ongoing efforts to make the world a better place. Today's meeting is not just a meeting between two great countries but also a meeting between two great friends. We thank him for coming to Canada. He is always very welcome here.