Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Before we adjourn, I wish to raise two issues. First, I thank all those who expressed their sympathies to my family on the sudden passing of my brother. That includes the Minister, my committee colleagues, the secretariat here and all the parliamentary community. There is a deep void left in our lives but also in public life. It is very apt that today we were approving funding of €10 million for the local improvement schemes. Last month, John would have been on Roscommon County Council for 21 years and he thrived on helping everyone that he met. I strongly believe there also will be a void in the Thirty-fourth Dáil, as I know John would have been an excellent parliamentarian and representative of the people of Roscommon and Galway. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

As this is my last contribution in the Oireachtas after nearly 28 years in Parliament, I thank the people in the counties of Longford, Leitrim, Galway and Roscommon most sincerely for the trust they have placed in me over the years. It truly has been an honour to represent the people from these counties in Dáil Éireann over that time. I sincerely thank all the staff who have worked with me over the years. I particularly want to mention the committee team here. Over the past four years, we have had the late Paul Kelly, Ailish Murphy and Jack Savage and the current team we have here, Caoímhe O’Rourke, Ciara Marrinan, Haley O’Shea and Devan Whitson, as well as all the support staff here who keep this committee operation going.

I also thank those who held the fort for me in the constituency, particularly Deirdre Concannon and Jill Mellor. Finally, I thank my family for their support over the years which, at times, have been difficult and challenging. It is with mixed emotions that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív and I are all leaving the House. Young Deputy Ó Cathasaigh has many more years here and we wish him many more years of successful representation in this House.

That concludes the committee's business in public session today. I thank members for participating in today’s meeting.