Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

On behalf of the Sinn Féin Dáil and Seanad teams, I wish to be associated with the offering of condolences to the Fitzgerald family and I want to pay tribute to the service of the late Gene Fitzgerald.

Like Deputy Burton, I did not have the pleasure of knowing Gene Fitzgerald during his 15 years of service as a Member of the House. It is obvious from his record that he enjoyed considerable success, not only as an elected representative for the people of the then Dáil constituency of Cork Mid-Central — subsequently Cork South-Central — and the then European Parliamentary constituency of Munster but also as a Minister at a time when the country experienced much greater difficulties and economic problems. The fact that he won six Dáil and two European elections is indicative of the significant respect and appreciation afforded to him by the electorates in the constituencies he represented.

I wish to offer the sympathy of the Sinn Féin team to his wife, Noreen, his son and daughters, his brother and sister, his grandchildren and all of the Fitzgerald family. I also take this opportunity to convey our sympathy to his colleagues in the Fianna Fáil Party, an organisation to which he continued to give significant service after his decision to stand down as an elected political representative. This is an important day in that respect because we must convey our sympathies to both the current Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, and, as of this morning, the new leader of the Fianna Fáil Party, Deputy Cowen. Ar lámh dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

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