Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

As a constituency colleague I also wish to offer my congratulations, coimhghairdeas and also to his wife, Mary and his family and also to his hard-working secretary of many years, Dymphna Neasy. It will be an interesting constituency from now on. He is leaving me with a very heavy burden of looking after the entire constituency which now stretches from Omeath, Fairyhill on one side and as far down as Gormanston. I can assure the Ceann Comhairle that I will well look after it in the meantime.

I also wish to confirm to the House that it is clearly the case that the Ceann Comhairle is an innately fair man and I have no doubt that he will chair the proceedings of this House with that fairness. He has been a gentleman in the constituency and a good colleague. I know that when he returns to the constituency after the next general election he will again serve the people of County Louth as he has served them over the past few decades.

See this speech in context