Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

While I did not know Tomás Mac Giolla personally I was, when growing up in Dublin West very much aware he was one of our local Deputies. He represented the radical left tradition in west Dublin, which has often elected a Member to this House. While I do not come from that tradition and would not have shared many of Tomás Mac Giolla's views, I respect the contribution he made to politics and what he did to make west Dublin a better place. On behalf of Fine Gael and the 120,000 constituents of Dublin West, I thank his family for his life and contribution.

Tomás Mac Giolla stood in 11 general and two European elections and was elected to Dáil Éireann on three occasions, namely, November 1982, 1987 and 1989 at the head of a Workers' Party of seven Deputies, which was a considerable achievement. On the first occasion, he received more than 6,000 votes and on the third more than 8,000 votes. As stated by other Members, he was elected to Dublin City Council in 1979 and became Lord Mayor in 1993, the year after he lost his Dáil seat. Having reviewed the record, he genuinely was an impressive parliamentarian. The record shows he contributed to all Stages of legislation in a considered and measured fashion. The parliamentary questions he tabled showed his wide breadth of interest beyond purely domestic concerns, including on international issues such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South Africa, the service of the Defence Forces abroad, nuclear power, the encroachment into Irish waters of foreign submarines and Irish neutrality.

As Deputy Kenny recalled, Tomás Mac Giolla famously walked out of the Dáil in 1984 when former President Ronald Regan addressed the House. What may not be so well remembered is that on 24 March 1987, almost 13 years ago, he was first to raise questions about the use of Irish passports by Colonel Oliver North to enter Iran. This issue remains relevant today given the use of Irish passports in recent times. His strong local work was evidenced in his parliamentary activities, raising questions familiar to all of us in Dublin West, namely, primary and post primary school provision, Garda resources, social welfare benefits and job creation. He was, throughout his career, a constant advocate of the PAYE sector and of tax fairness for that sector, which is particularly relevant today. As mentioned, Tomás Mac Giolla was a member of the official IRA and, in his own words, did everything that the IRA asked of him. However, he was among the first to challenge the physical force tradition at that time to turn away from sectarianism, which he never supported, and to recognise the Protestant tradition in Northern Ireland for its own value.

In conducting my research I came across some of Tomás Mac Giolla's old election literature from the 1990s, in particular The Dublin People, the newspaper he used at that time to campaign in the European elections of 1994. In that particular election campaign he makes only one promise, namely, to be straight, honest and true. Tomás Mac Giolla was straight, honest and true. If we all follow that example, we will help to make Ireland a better place than it is today.

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