Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Business of Joint Committee

9:00 am

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I remind members, delegates and visitors to please switch off their mobile phones completely as they interfere with the recording and broadcasting equipment.

On behalf of the joint committee, I express our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick of the Irish Coast Guard who lost her life on board the helicopter R116 off the Mayo coast on Tuesday of last week and was buried at the weekend. We also extend our condolences to the families Captain Mark Duffy and the winch crew, Paul Ormsby and Ciarán Smith, who remain missing. It is an unbearable tragedy for all involved. We pray and hope their families will get closure and the answers they need very soon.

We also extend our deepest sympathy to the family, partner, friends and team mates of the Derry City captain, Ryan McBride, who died suddenly on Sunday night at the age of just 27 years. He was a committed and passionate Derry City footballer and his death is a significant loss to Derry City and Irish soccer. I have no doubt that he will be long remembered as a true legend of Derry City Football Club. May he rest in peace.

On behalf of the joint committee, I pay tribute to another proud Derryman, Martin McGuinness, former deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, who passed away yesterday after a short illness. I convey our sincere sympathy to his wife, Bernie; his children, friends and colleagues in Sinn Féin, both in Leinster House and the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.