Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Ar mo shon féin agus ar shon an Rialtais agus Páirtí Fhianna Fáil, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a chur in iúl do chlann Shéamuis Ó Braonáin. Chaith Séamus blianta fada ag freastal ar an Teach seo. Bhí sé ina chara, chomrádaí agus chomhpháirtí againn ar fad, is cuma cén taobh den urlár a bhí éinne. Bhí ardmheas air mar pholaiteoir a bhí dílis dá pháirtí, dá thír agus dá chlann. Ba mhór an bhris d'Fhianna Fáil bás Shéamuis, rud a chur isteach ar dhaoine ag gach leibhéal den eagraíocht, bíodh sin in a nDáilcheantar i mBaile Átha Cliath Theas nó ina chathair dúchais, Gaillimh, nó ar fud na tíre.

Is cinnte gur bris ollmhór é a bhás dá chlann. Bhí Séamus an-dílis ar fad dóibh. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil siad anseo sa Teach linn inniu. Cuirim mo chomhbhrón agus mo chuid tacaíochta in iúl dá chéile Ann, dá chlann Shay, Daire, Aoife, Breffní, Síne agus Éanna, dá chlann clainne, Calum agus TJ, dá dheartháireacha, Joe, Éamon agus Terry agus dá dheirfiúr Carmel, chomh maith lena mhuintir agus a cháirde ar fad.

Today we pay tribute to Séamus Brennan, an exceptional figure in Irish public life. Across four decades he was at the cutting edge of politics on this island. His achievements were many and were of enormous consequence. A man of quiet influence, exuding calm and restless energy, he was driven by a deep desire to serve our country. He helped shape a more modern, confident and ambitious Ireland. In the three months since Séamus Brennan left us, many sincere and well deserved tributes have been paid to him. I am pleased his family can be with us today to hear the high regard in which he was held by this House.

Séamus graced these corridors for many years and had friends and admirers on all sides of the political spectrum. Every one of us in politics can take inspiration from his proud career of public service and his immense contribution to our nation's welfare. His untimely passing, at the age of 60, has been deeply felt across the country. Séamus Brennan was a servant of the people. He will long be remembered in this House and beyond as a brilliant political strategist, a dedicated constituency Deputy, a reforming Minister and a very popular colleague. He is greatly missed by us all.

As leader of Fianna Fáil, the party Séamus loved and served so loyally, I know how deeply felt his passing has been among all sections of our organisation, our parliamentary party, our national executive, in every cumann and in his constituency. Séamus Brennan was the quintessential Fianna Fáil organisation person and, dating to his tenure as party general secretary, had a great network of connections within the organisation across the length and breadth of the country. Throughout his long career, he built up a great knowledge of our party and the personalities that shape it locally and nationally. He had an enduring respect for the ordinary members of Fianna Fáil for the time and dedication they unselfishly give to politics. That respect was deeply reciprocated. Mixed with the sadness that permeated through the ranks of our party on Séamus's passing, is a real sense of respect and gratitude to a man who did so much to advance the cause of Ireland and her people.

Séamus Brennan's politics were nurtured at a young age and he had deep roots in our party organisation. His father had been a prominent Fianna Fáil activist and director of elections in Galway. Séamus became active in Fianna Fáil as a student and first came to national prominence when he was appointed general secretary of the party in the mid-1970s. He was the youngest person to hold that office and it was Jack Lynch who made the inspired decision to appoint him.

Last week I spoke in University College Cork at a conference which examined the legacy and achievements of Jack Lynch. Séamus Brennan is, of course, indelibly linked to Jack Lynch's greatest electoral triumph. He deployed the full reservoir of his talents, his great enthusiasm, unrivalled organisational skills and keen political acumen in his role as general secretary. For Séamus, the practice of electoral politics was a talent he was born with and when he was given the great responsibility at a young age to plan our party's next phase of development, that talent was put to its fullest use. He introduced to the election machine modern methods of campaigning, policy formulation and electioneering and played a hugely significant part in our winning the biggest majority in the history of the State at the general election in 1977.

It was Jack Lynch also who appointed Séamus Brennan to Seanad Éireann in 1977 and set in train a distinguished career in representative politics of which our country has been a major beneficiary. In 1981 Séamus successfully contested his first general election and was elected in nine successive elections by the people of Dublin South, frequently topping the poll. His great commitment to his constituents and to public service made him a formidable vote-gatherer and a great asset to our party. Séamus Brennan had keen political acumen and understood better than most the importance of communicating a political message.

As a Minister, Séamus Brennan was a committed public servant in the cause of Ireland. He was a practical Cabinet colleague who thrived on bringing forward proposed solutions to the challenges his country faced. He was an able and capable administrator in each of the offices of State that he held. He first served as Minister of State with responsibility for trade in 1987 before being appointed Minister for Tourism and Transport by Charles Haughey in 1989. In a long and distinguished ministerial career, he also held ministerial portfolios in education, communications, transport and social and family affairs. He served with great distinction as Government Chief Whip from 1997 to 2002 and played a significant role in ensuring that Administration completed its full term. In this role in particular his natural talent for conciliation, accommodation and managing competing pressures served him and the Government of the day very well indeed.

Throughout his career he consistently showed a deep-seated respect for the views of others. He understood that persuasion in politics brings unity of purpose and that coercion and conflict can have no place in a civilised society. He had a practical common sense approach and saw politics as the art of solving problems, not of magnifying them. He focused on accomplishing tasks and getting the job on hand done.

At the core of his political philosophy was his belief that a strong economy geared toward maximising employment was the best means by which wider social objectives could be achieved. As a Minister, his achievements were numerous and of lasting effect. He established the Forum on Small Business and negotiated significant welfare increases for the most vulnerable in society. He published a Green Paper on education which placed special emphasis on giving priority to disadvantaged students. He brought forward many new initiatives in air passenger services.

I served with Séamus in the Governments of Albert Reynolds and Bertie Ahern. I knew him to be a reforming Minister with a strategic mind and a good grasp of public policy. Ultimately, he believed in doing the right thing by the country and in using his objective political skills to bring the people with us. Séamus played a significant role in shaping the Ireland in which we live today. I wish to acknowledge also his key role in the negotiations that led to the formation of the current Fianna Fáil-Green Party-Progressive Democrat Government with the support of Independent Deputies.

Séamus Brennan was a man of great courtesy. He faced his illness with considerable dignity and fortitude and never complained. He continued to work for his constituents in spite of his declining health. He was a man of commitment, of great insight and of deep patriotism. Ag tabhairt óráid adhlacadh Shéamuis dom, dúirt mé gur mac dílis do chuid cathair na dtreabh ab ea é — fear ina raibh an pholaitaíocht go smior ann. Mheabhróinn don Teach seo gur duine ciúin, séimh, cneasta, cúirtéiseach agus fíor-cumasach ab ea Séamus Ó Braonáin — fear nár loic riamh ar a chúram phoiblí ná ar a chuid cúramaí pearsanta nó chlainne. Gur fada buan a chuimhne. Leaba i measc naoimh agus laochra Gaeil go raibh aige.

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