May I, as President of Ireland, mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, send you my warmest wishes for a peaceful and a Happy Christmas and New Year.
Christmas is a time when we can pause for reflection, as we look back on the year gone by. It is a time when it is surely appropriate to recall the story that lies at the heart of this festive season. That story is of a long and difficult journey, and the birth of a child, in a temporary home, in Bethlehem two thousand years ago.
Let us think too of how far from a state of peace that region is today, and how the absence of peace reflects our failure at a human and diplomatic level, and how, sadly, we hear words that provoke rather than heal.
Across the many years and miles that separate us from the original Christmas story, we can unfortunately see too many parallels in our own society today.
As we reflect on this story of the search for a home, for security, let us also consider the many personal and difficult journeys currently being undertaken by so many of the fellow citizens of our shared and vulnerable planet at home and abroad.
As we reflect on the story of Bethlehem let us recognise its resonance in our contemporary society, be inspired to answer its call to stand in human solidarity with those for whom, and for whatever reason, this Christmas will be a dark and difficult one.
This Christmas, once again, the burden of homelessness will overshadow the festive season for those deprived of a secure and permanent shelter.
We are challenged, I suggest, to turn this time of celebration into a sustained commitment of awareness and care for those for whom each day is an act of survival.
May I thank those who work so tirelessly to support those in our society who are vulnerable. I have been fortunate to meet with so many groups and volunteers who have shone, and continue to shine, a light of hope into the lives of some of our most marginalised people.
Their work is an inspiring example and an uplifting reminder of the real will and capacity that exists among the people of Ireland, to re-imagine our society, and achieve an inclusive republic for all of our citizens.
As we reach the end of 2017 and begin our journey into a new year, let us make it a shared journey, encompassing the needs of all.
As we leave behind the dark days of mid-winter, let us share the dawning light of a new beginning as an opportunity to create, during the year to come, a sense of hope and optimism for each and every person and family.
Once again, I ask us all to reflect on the ongoing plight of refugees and displaced people; on the many millions of children, women and men around the world who are so far from the comfort and dignity of a home or secure shelter.
During 2017, we learned that 20 people are newly displaced every minute, forced to leave their homes, to seek refuge.
Wars, conflict, persecution, and natural disasters have forced more people to flee than at any other time since records began. Indeed, we have read of some of those fleeing being sold into slavery.
The ongoing humanitarian crisis emanating from Rakhine State in Myanmar, with its many hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh reminds us vividly of what some communities face on their long and difficult struggle to find a rightful place in a peaceful society.
As a global community and as responsible global citizens, we are called upon to respond in a way which will respect the universal right to live in safety and with dignity.
I know that Irish citizens across the world will stand with those who are suffering and that they will, as before, support those who are responding to these crises, and who are thus showing solidarity with the most vulnerable.
Sabina and I had the great pleasure, in 2017, of meeting many of the Irish abroad including those in Australia and New Zealand.
We were delighted to meet so many of our extended Irish family. To those and all the Irish abroad, and in whatever circumstances, I send greetings.
May I also, mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, thank each and every one of you who are caring for our communities throughout the holiday season, and indeed as they do during the rest of the year, An Garda Síochána, the Prison Service, all of the staff in our hospitals and emergency services, and members of the Defence Forces serving abroad who are building or supporting peace.
May I wish each and every one of you, wherever you may be, a peaceful and happy Christmas.
Beir Beannacht.
Teachtaireacht Nollag an Uachtaráin 2017
Mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, is cúis áthais dom mo bheannachtaí a chur chugaibh, agus guím Nollaig shona, shíochánta agus Bliain Nua mhaith daoibh.
Is tréimhse ar leith í an Nollaig, nuair is féidir linn sos a ghlacadh, agus machnamh a dhéanamh ar an mbliain atá caite. Is tréimhse í a bhfuil sé ceart agus oiriúnach dúinn scéal na Nollag a thabhairt chun cuimhne. Scéal faoi thuras fada anróiteach, agus breith linbh i dteach sealadach i mBeithil, dhá mhíle bliain ó shin.
Cuimhnímis, freisin, ar cé chomh fada is atá an réigiún sin ón tsíocháin sa lá atá inniu ann, agus cé mar a léiríonn an easpa síochána sin go bhfuil teipthe orainn ar an leibhéal daonna agus polaitíochta, agus, faraor, go gcloisimid focail a chuireann leis an aighneas seachas cabhrú le réiteach a aimsiú don réigiún.
Cé go bhfuil go leor ama caite ón oíche a rugadh an leanbh Íosa agus gur tharla sé i bhfad uainn, is féidir linn macasamhlacha a fheiceáil inár sochaí féin inniu, faraor.
Agus sinn ag machnamh ar an scéal sin, ina bhfuil dídean tí agus suaimhneas á lorg, cuimhnímis, freisin, ar an iliomad aistear pearsanta, deacair, atá á thaisteal ag mná, fir agus leanaí ár linne, in Éirinn agus i gcéin.
Má aithnímid macalla scéal Bheithile i sochaí an lae inniu, b’fhéidir go spreagfar muid chun seasamh i ndlúthpháirtíocht leo siúd a mbeidh an Nollaig seo deacair agus dorcha orthu, ar chúiseanna éagsúla.
Arís, i mbliana, beidh scáil ar shéasúr na Nollag, dóibh siúd nach bhfuil dídean buan, sábháilte acu. Caithfimid glacadh lenár ndúshlán, an séasúr ceiliúrtha seo a threorú ina ghealltanas leanúnach go mbeimid mar shochaí ag déanamh cúraim, agus ag tabhairt aire, dóibh siúd atá ag fulaingt de bharr easpa baile buan.
Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leo siúd a oibríonn chomh díograiseach chun tacú leis na daoine sin inár sochaí atá leochaileach. Bhí an t-ádh orm bualadh leis an iliomad grúpaí agus daoine a thugann cúis dóchais do na daoine is imeallaithe inár sochaí. Molaim iad.
Tá a gcuid oibre inspioráideach agus croíúil agus cuireann sé i gcuimhne dúinn na féidireachtaí atá ar fáil ag muintir na hÉireann chun ár sochaí a fheabhsú agus poblacht a bhaint amach a fheidhmíonn ar mhaithe le gach uile shaoránach.
Agus sinn ag teacht chun deireadh na bliana dhá mhíle agus a seacht déag agus ag tabhairt aghaidh ar an bliain nua, déanaimis ár n-aistear ar aghaidh, le chéile, ag cuidiú lena chéile, agus ag díriú ár n-aird orthu siúd atá i ngéarghá.
Le hoícheanta fada an gheimhridh á fhágáil inár ndiaidh againn, is féidir linn an deis a thapú chun tuar geal dóchais agus misnigh a thabhairt do gach aon duine agus gach aon chlann sa bhliain atá romhainn.
Arís an bhliain seo chugainn, iarraim orainn ar fad machnamh a dhéanamh ar chruachás leanúnach na dteifeach, agus na ndaoine díláithrithe; ar na milliúin páistí, ban agus fear ar fud an domhain atá i bhfad ó chompord agus ó dínit a gcuid teaghlach.
Le linn na bliana dhá mhíle agus a seacht déag, fógraíodh go ndéantar fiche duine a dhíláithriú gach nóiméad, agus go gcuirtear iallach orthu a mbaile a fhágáil agus dídean a lorg. Tá cogaí, coimhlintí, géarleanúint agus tubaistí nádúrtha ag brú níos mó daoine i dtreo an teite ná mar a tharla riamh, roinnt díobh siúd a theith á ndíol mar sclábhaithe fiú.
Cuireann an ghéarchéim dhaonnúil, atá ag tarlú i Stát Rakhine i Maenmar agus a bhfuil na céadta mílte de chine an Rohingya ag teitheadh uaidh go dtí an Bhanglaidéis, i gcuimhne dúinn go rí-shoiléir go bhfuil bóthar fada anróiteach roimh phobail áirithe agus iad ag iarraidh a n-áit a bhaint amach i sochaí shíochánta.
Mar phobal agus mar shaoránaigh dhomhanda caithfimid a bheith freagrach agus glacadh lenár ndualgais.
Ní mór dúinn freagairt le daonnacht, go báúil, agus le meas ar an gceart atá ag gach éinne maireachtáil go sábháilte agus le dínit.
Tá mé dóchasach go seasfaidh saoránaigh Éireannacha ar fud an domhain leo siúd atá ag fulaingt, agus leo siúd atá ag dul i ngleic leis na géarchéimeanna seo le comhbhá, agus i ndlúthpháirtíocht leis na daoine is leochailí.
I rith na bliana seo, bhain Saidhbhín agus mé féin an-sásamh as bualadh leis an oiread sin de mhuintir na hÉireann atá ina gcónaí thar lear, go háirithe san Astráil agus sa Nua-Shéalainn.
Cuirim mo bheannacht chucu siúd agus chuig muintir na hÉireann uile atá thar lear, pé cúinsí faoina bhfuil siad.
Chomh maith leis sin, ba mhaith liom, mar Uachtarán na hÉireann, buíochas a ghabháil le gach uile dhuine díbh a bhfuil cúram á dhéanamh agaibh dár bpobail thar an Nollaig agus, go deimhin, ar feadh na bliana.
Ina measc tá baill den Gharda Síochána, an tSeirbhís Príosún, foirne na n-ospidéal, na seirbhísí éigeandála agus baill na bhFórsaí Cosanta atá thar lear ag obair ar son na síochána.
Guím Nollaig shona shíochánta ar gach aon duine díbh, agus gach rath oraibh don Bhliain Nua, cuma cá bhfuil sibh.
Beir Beannacht.
