Thanks to what is no small technical achievement, a lot of people will have the chance to watch these wonderful little birds laying and incubating their eggs and then raising their young brood. Many of us who are mums and dads will be able to relate to their ups and downs as they do their best to launch their children to independence.

These small creatures have chosen to make their home here in a man-made nestbox. Given that human beings have pushed a great many species to the brink through the destruction of their habitat, it is heartening to see how we can help to restore that habitat, create safe nesting sites and make our gardens a lot more fascinating at the same time. Much of our landscape has changed over a very short period of time and that has made life very difficult for some of our wildlife. Their natural habitat is our natural heritage. It is a huge part of what makes Ireland so beautiful and so attractive, so we all have a vested interest in nurturing and cherishing it.

These little feathered ambassadors from Áras an Uachtaráin will, I hope, help bring that message out around the country, helping us to appreciate and understand the importance of wildlife to all of us and to our country. Their lives will be beamed into classrooms and living rooms across the country. We will get to know them well and they will have a lot to teach us as we see their world open up to us through their eyes.

I hope that you will all join me in watching the progress of these lovely little creatures. This is reality television at its best, for we will be able to quietly and unobtrusively observe our Blue Tit friends 24 hours a day via the internet. They will be doing the same thing as a million identical pairs of Blue Tits are doing right now around your own homes and schools, without anyone passing many remarks on them. Now we have this wonderful chance to take a really good and caring look at how they get on. In a tough and uncertain world, I know we all wish them the very best of luck."