Your ability to let go is part of the duty that you have.

There is nothing wrong with our country, there is something wrong with our politics...When this country is operating off a common ground, nobody can stop us. But when we're divided, then we end up having a whole lot of self-inflicted problems.

We can't afford more top-down economics. What we need are policies that will grow and strengthen the middle class.

So I think it's important to understand that your duly elected representatives have been consistently informed about exactly what we're doing.

[Afghanistan and Iraq] are still countries that are fragile enough that we're gonna have to partner with them in some way.

I'm especially grateful that they're here at a time when the rest of Ireland is focused on the final round of the Six Nations rugby tournament and the last match of the legendary Brian O'Driscoll.

What we have done, I think, is build a model from a lot of hard lessons in Afghanistan and Iraq but in other places around the world, where we are working with them in an advisory capacity.