Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is an honour for me to rise to pay tribute to the late Patrick J. Morley, who was not just a predecessor in the Dáil but a family friend for as long as I can remember. I welcome Mary, Patrick, Brian, Enda, Cathy and the members of his extended family who are in attendance today. They will want me to thank all party leaders for their very kind tributes to P. J. this morning.

For as long as I knew him, P. J. Morley represented decency, integrity and public service. He was a man with a great sense of humour and commitment. Every person who votes No. 1 for any Member on any side of the House has with that Member a unique bond of trust and expects to be represented. As a teacher, P. J. had an extra-special bond of trust through being in charge of the futures of so many people in his village. He exercised that trust to the utmost and with integrity and dignity throughout his life.

Many people have associated P. J. Morley with the airport at Knock. There were other Members who claimed it, but it was he who delivered it. That is there for him along with many other smaller capital projects. There were many things we did not see, however, including the interventions he made on behalf of people who faced difficult personal circumstances and the difference he made in the lives of many, quietly, efficiently, without pride and without prejudice over many years of public service. I said at the time of his passing that the Irish phrase "Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal" had never been more appropriate. A anam uasal; P.J. Morley was a noble man right to his core. That is what we remember here today. It is my pleasure and honour to be able to rise as his successor and, most importantly, as a friend, to put that on the record of the House.

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