Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

On behalf of the Fine Gael Party I would like to tender our expression of sympathy to the family and friends of the late Tony Gregory, in particular to his brother Noel and his partner Annette. Those of us who have been here since 1982 or prior to that have been through the conveyor belt of politics with Tony Gregory. For me two occasions stand out in my mind that were both essentially Tony Gregory. The first was his coming in here as an elected Deputy in 1982 and the second was a beautiful mass in St. Agatha's Church on the day of his removal and burial.

The brightness of his eye and the intensity of his voice were distinctive. It was the conviction of his belief that politics could actually influence circumstances for the good, and that politics could influence the environment in which people lived that drove Tony Gregory to say things in this House that were direct, real and truthful. He was never afraid to tell one about his constituency, about the kind of people who lived there, the streets, the tenements and the houses, and what it was that was needed to change all that. This was an area that was neglected by all Governments. Sitting in that seat up there in 1982, having come in with his entourage from Dublin Central and having agreed with the late Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, a particular set of infrastructural developments in that constituency, he read out that list from those benches, much to the annoyance and consternation of others that the Taoiseach, anxious to hold on to power, signed up for that deal. Tony Gregory never suffered plámás. He was not the kind of person who suffered fools easily.

In his maiden speech he set out the details of what he considered were necessary for his people, to deal with education, poverty, housing and the scourge of drugs that were then beginning to sweep across sections of this city. He was a mould breaker because he was one of the few people, if not one of the first, from the location where he was born to, as the Taoiseach said, take summer jobs and go to UCD and qualify. In later years when Deputy Quinn was Minister for Finance and third level fees were abolished it was partly for that reason, to encourage young people from previously deprived or disadvantaged areas to go to third level college. Tony Gregory epitomised in his own life that mould breaking and rising to that challenge.

As for the tie, or lack of it, he always said he was sent here by his constituents, that he was entitled to be here in this Chamber and no rules of decorum would prevent him from saying what he had to say. He was admired for that. He became well known throughout the land.

I spoke to him outside the new building of Leinster House 2000 shortly before he became really ill and he said he did not speak about the illness — cancer — that it was something he had to bear alone, and so he did with great dignity and courage. He regretted never having the opportunity to either sit in the Ceann Comhairle's chair or to serve as a Minister of State. He made no bones about the fact that were he given that opportunity his drive would have been to clean the streets of Dublin of drug barons and drug pushers and prevent the misery and disruption that has happened to so many young people who have become victims of that scourge in the meantime.

Mar a dúirt an Taoiseach, is minic a labhair Tony as Gaeilge. Bhí Gaeilge líofa aige. Bhí sé báúil don teanga an t-am ar fad. Nuair a bhí mé ag sochraid Tony ina Dháilcheantar, chuir sé áthas orm tar éis an aifrinn go raibh a lán daoine ag labhairt Gaeilge. Bhí an iar-Theachta, Tony, báúil leo siúd ar fad. Tá sé imithe ar shlí na fírinne. Tá sé imithe ach tá sé fós i meoin na ndaoine. Tá an obair a rinne sé ar feadh 30 bliain le feiceáil sa Dháilcheantar sin.

He may be gone but for anyone who has been here with him since 1982 he was the epitome of a politician of conviction, who wanted to use this House for the betterment of his people. Go ndéanfaidh Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

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