Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The shooting dead of Jo Cox, MP, was an appalling crime against a public representative. A mother of two young children who should have been celebrating her 42nd birthday tomorrow with her husband Brendan and their children, Jo Cox was a talented and dedicated politician with a very bright political future in front of her. The outpouring of grief and dismay at her murder gave a strong indication of the kind of politician, public servant, humanitarian, friend, daughter, wife and mother that she was. To her family, her husband Brendan and their two young children, I know I have the full support of the House and the Seanad in expressing my sincerest and deepest sympathies. This was an attack on our democratic values. Public representatives have to be able to go about their public duty and their constituency duty free from harassment and assault. I dearly hope that such violence will not be repeated.

I had spoken to a group in Liverpool when the message came through that Jo Cox had been shot on the street just a short distance away. In her House of Commons maiden speech she had made the point that immigrants to Great Britain, including Irish Catholics, had added greatly to the depth and the strength of personality of the people in the area. In her own words, she said: "we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us." Go ndéanfaidh Dia trócaire ar a hanam.

See this speech in context