Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Ar son foireann Sinn Féin i dTithe an Oireachtais, ba mhaith liom ár gcomhbhrón a ghabháil le clann Séamus Ó Braonáin. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis. On behalf of the Sinn Féin representatives in the Houses of the Oireachtas, I wish to extend our sympathy to the wife and family of the late Séamus Brennan. May he rest in peace. Like other speakers, my first experience of Séamus took place 11 years ago, when I became the first and sole Sinn Féin Deputy to participate in the modern Dáil. During my five years of solitary responsibility, I had many occasions on which to engage with Séamus as Chief Whip. He always was courteous, affable and highly importantly, always a man of his word.

It is also important to state he was a facilitator. Part of his role as Chief Whip was to deal with a number of Deputies from smaller parties of the time and Independents, and he regularly faced the questions, challenges and issues we brought forward. At all times he approached these matters — some were challenges and others were new issues arising from the new make-up of the 28th Dáil — with a "can do" point of view. I always appreciated that. There was never a direct rejection or a "No" but rather a "Let's see what we can do". As a lone representative of my party over those years, I appreciated that and I wish to record my thanks to him for the way he approached each of the matters I raised.

I extend our sympathy to An Taoiseach and members of the Fianna Fáil Party, which has lost a very valued and much-appreciated colleague. I also extend sympathy to all of Séamus's family and extended family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

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