Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I wish to be associated with all the tributes that have been paid. In particular, as I have previously done, I express my sympathy to Ann, Shay, Daire, Aoife, Sine, Breffni, Éanna and the extended Brennan family. While today must be a sad day for the family, I hope it is also a proud day.

Séamus and I entered the Dáil on the same day in 1981, which now seems like an entirely different age. Dublin South was represented at the time by Séamus and me, the late Niall Andrews, the late John Kelly and Nuala Fennell. To some extent, it is strange that I find myself here while Séamus is no longer with us.

Often we say things about those who have passed on which are not completely sincere, but everything that has been said about Séamus today is true and reflects Séamus as a man, a politician and a constituency colleague.

Over the years when we locked horns or trailed around the constituency from meeting to meeting after each other, I cannot recall a single incident or event, be it at a public meeting, at election time or even in this House, when there was a political charge across the House or a cross word expressed by Séamus in my direction. I hope, in the context of my conduct, I behaved similarly towards him.

As a constituency rival, he was a completely trustworthy individual. If he told one something about an issue, and from his perspective as a Minister, it was always true. He never set out to mislead or embarrass those from different parties who were on platforms with him. He had a unique capacity, when delivering bad news, either at a public meeting or to a group he met in this House, to leave them with a ray of hope that whatever cause they were championing would ultimately be successful. That said something about his capacity as a politician. On occasions in the context of Dublin South he had to deliver bad news, be it about a new school or a school extension, but he always assured people he was still fighting for them. The fight was continued and frequently as the years passed the project that appeared hopeless was ultimately delivered. I like to think that my giving him some grief in this House on occasions contributed to him, as a Minister, being able to put pressure on colleagues to do things that were necessary for people in south Dublin.

Séamus and I on occasion shared constituents who had problems, which I am sure is no different from what happens in other constituencies. On the odd occasion we had discussions about individuals who seemed to have a need to visit myself and Séamus, and also probably Deputies Tom Kitt and Olivia Mitchell in recent years. My one regret is that I never checked out with him one individual who felt the need to visit my constituency clinic on a regular basis in the late 1980s and early 1990s to report the number of public light bulbs that had given up the ghost in Dublin South and needed replacing. After the first two or three visits I thought he was trying to be helpful, but as the visits strayed into months, he seemed to feel the need to visit every street in the Rathfarnham area to identify a light bulb that was dysfunctional. This resulted in correspondence to this gentleman assuring him the matter was being followed up, with correspondence back from the county council assuring me the bulb would be replaced. Sadly, I never checked with Séamus whether he had the same light bulb problem. There were other constituents like that whom we shared on a regular basis.

Séamus was a soft-spoken individual, whether it was in this House or at meetings, but he was authoritative. He had a way about him that reassured people. He took that approach in this House and with the media and, as a consequence, people developed enormous affection for him.

He also had a great capacity to read elections and not only to organise them. Séamus used to know the likely outcome of a general election two or three weeks before it was called and had a pretty accurate view of it at least a week before polling day. In the 2007 general election when he was obviously unwell but still striving to get elected, we managed to stand beside each other outside Rathfarnham Church one Sunday morning as people exited from it. We stood side by side shaking hands with and greeting people, both hoping we would get their electoral support. I still remember that as the last person exited and we both moved off to meet again about ten minutes later outside another church gate, Séamus stopped to say to me, "Alan, I've done the sums; I've no doubt you're going to get elected." There is no politician in this House who believes he will be elected until the last vote has been counted. My wife said to me, "Séamus is never wrong about elections." She found that took the pressure off during the last few days of that campaign.

It is fair to say that in this House on occasions the hard word passes across the benches far too frequently. In the case of Séamus that never occurred. He is a great loss to this House and to Dublin South. I wish his family well. I wish Ann well. May he rest in peace.

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