Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to lead the House in paying tribute to the former Chief Justice, Thomas Finlay, who died at the weekend and was buried today. Over the course of 50 years he made an extraordinary contribution to the law in Ireland in a life devoted to public service. We should also remember that Mr. Justice Finlay served in the Dáil with great distinction in the 1950s. He was an eloquent representative of the people of Dublin South-Central.

Throughout his distinguished career, he always showed great sensitivity and skill, whether chairing the tribunal which investigated the hepatitis C scandal, or delivering the landmark judgment in the X case. As Chief Justice, his guiding focus was the vindication of the rights of the citizen and he was praised, for example, for the humane way in which he approached family law cases involving children.

Like all good people, he wore his goodness lightly and he was known for his humility and kindness as well as his fierce intellect. Our sympathies are with his family and friends, including his daughter, Mrs Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan, who was appointed to the Supreme Court last month. Today we honour a servant of the State, whose greatest virtue was his absolute fairness in the administration of justice.

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