Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. It is a pity that more people did not listen to them. Those who were there, such as Mr. O'Connor, saw the reality and the difficulties of reaching an agreement as well as the huge amount of work and preparation that goes into it. Several members have expressed the hope that Mr. O'Connor will put down in writing his recollections so that they can be accessed and inform the history of our country. I hope that universities and other research institutes are using his knowledge and that of his colleagues to ensure research is not based on newspaper reports or whatever but, rather, drawn from people who were at the coalface. His contribution today has been marvellous.