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President of Ireland visit: Palace of Westminster speech; Michael D.Higgins (President of Ireland) speech SOTNearly 90 years earlier, the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act of1829 was secured by the leadership of our great Irish parliamentarian,Daniel O'Connell. O'Connell's nationalism set no border to his concern forhuman rights; his advocacy also extended to causes and movements forjustice around the world, including the struggle to end slavery. He wastotally dedicated to seeking freedom, as he put it:"attained not by the effusion of human blood but by theconstitutional combination of good and wise men."While O'Connell may not have achieved that ambition during his ownlifetime, it was such an idealism that served to guide and influence, somany years later, the achievement of the momentous Good Friday Agreement of1998. That achievement was founded on the cornerstones of equality, justiceand democratic partnership, and was a key milestone on the road to today'swarm, deep and enduring Irish-British friendship.Our two countries can take immense pride in the progress of the cause ofpeace in Northern Ireland. There is of course still a road to be travelled- the road of a lasting and creative reconciliation - and our twoGovernments have a shared responsibility to encourage and support those whoneed to complete the journey of making peace permanent and constructive.Mr Speaker, Lord Speaker:I stand here at a time when the relationship between our two islands has,as I have said, achieved a closeness and warmth that once seemedunachievable. The people of Ireland greatly cherish the politicalindependence that was secured in 1922 - an independence which was foughtfor by my father and many of his generation. The pain and sacrificeassociated with the advent of Irish independence inevitably cast its longshadow across our relations, causing us, in the words of the Irish MPStephen Gwynn, to:"look at each...