Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

In 1997 when we went into Government, most people did not give us a chance. The previous experience of Fianna Fáil in coalitions was that they ended prematurely. Not only was it a coalition Government, it was a minority coalition. It survived because of your skills. Although you are the leader of the largest party on this island, you understood the importance of accommodating small parties and understanding their requirements. You often seemed to have that impossible 360° vision whereby you could see the whole picture and knew what mattered. That is why you were elected Taoiseach on three successive occasions and are the only Taoiseach to have been re-elected while heading a coalition Government. Others have said you were difficult to oppose. I can say you were impossible to have a row with.

Democratic politics is about competing ideas and from time to time difficulties arise. One thing you engendered in the Government was the importance of stability. We set out in 1997 to provide this country with stable government — not perfect government but, certainly, good government. As you leave office, this country is much better placed than it was 11 years ago — of that there can be no doubt. It is not perfect but it is an awful lot better — we can use any yardstick we wish, whether it is unemployment, living standards, peace, educational attainment or, indeed, health. When Ireland joined the EU, our life expectancy was two years less than the EU average. Today, a child born in Ireland will live longer than a child born in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Belgium or the UK because of better health treatment — that is a fact. It is not perfect. The task is to focus on the imperfections, put them right and not give up.

It has been said by others how calm you always seem to be — I can confirm this to be my experience. Deputy Kenny referred to parties, some of which I attended. The Taoiseach was usually the first person to leave the parties to go back to work. When he told us of his intention to stand down, I told him I hope he gets more time to spend with his family and friends, and gets a life for himself. I know of nobody who has put in the commitment you have over the past 11 years. I would frequently get calls from the Taoiseach at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. on a Sunday, or very late on a Saturday night. He never seemed to take the normal time to sleep that most of us do.

I know the Taoiseach's family matter a lot to him. A sign of how long he has been in office is that when we first met his daughters, they were just tiny little girls. When he became Taoiseach they were students and now they both have extraordinarily successful careers. I am delighted for him. I know how proud he is of them. He has very few photographs in his office, but he has one of them.

I have learned over the past 11 years that what may appear small things matter to the Taoiseach. Each year as Taoiseach, he made sure he contacted every member of the Government on Christmas Eve. I have been called out of butcher's shops and other places to be told the Taoiseach was on the telephone and wanted to talk to me. If he got to a family member first, he had a long conversation with them. When everybody else was involved in the rush of Christmas, the Taoiseach found time to contact his colleagues. I know how much personal relationships mean to people. If there were illnesses in families, the Taoiseach always seemed to find time to inquire and be genuinely interested. That is a unique quality.

He has been criticised for shaking too many hands but the people of Ireland genuinely found in the Taoiseach somebody who was one of their own, who did not get too big for his boots and did not lose the run of himself with high office. That is a terrific strength. Sometimes the trappings of office can remove some of us from the reality of everyday life. That certainly never happened to the Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern.

I want to pay him a genuine tribute, personally and politically. It has been a pleasure to work with him as a member of his Government, as Tánaiste in particular and as leader of a small party. I know for a fact my party would not have been in Government for such a long period if it was not for the skills that he in particular displayed, whether with the Independents supporting the Government or, in the current case, with a three-party Government. Who here would have thought in 1997 that there would be a coalition Government involving the parties currently in Government?

You are the only socialist I could say so many nice things about. The former Minister for Finance said there was only one other socialist in the Dáil but he has not told me yet who is that other person — perhaps he has told the Taoiseach. I genuinely wish you well. You are being honoured in the United States next week. You are the fifth person to be honoured in the United States and the British Parliament and the only person to have been so honoured in a single calendar year. You are being honoured not necessarily because of your personal qualities, although they are the key to your political success, but because of your extraordinary political achievements for the people of this country and this island. I thank you very much and wish you everything you wish for yourself.

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