The Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Senator Jerry Buttimer, has welcomed Maura Healey, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to Leinster House, where she has addressed the Seanad.
Governor Healey, the firstly openly gay elected chief executive of a US state and the first female governor of Massachusetts, was invited to Leinster House by the Cathaoirleach. Speaking ahead of her address he said:
We are delighted Governor Healey has accepted my invitation to address the Seanad during Pride month. Her address also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland and sends a powerful message to young LGBTQI+ people who aspire to public office or indeed any role.
Prior to her election, Governor Healey served two terms as Attorney General of Massachusetts and has Irish roots through grandparents that were native of Kerry, Cork and Galway.
Governor Maura Healey and the Cathaoirleach, Senator Jerry Buttimer
In her address to the Seanad, Governor Healy stated:
Our nations are once again united by history, as President Kennedy said. In our journey together, the doors have opened wider. I want to thank Senators for the statements of support that I received following my election last November, and the congratulations that were made in this Chamber upon the vote.