Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom ar son mo pháirtí agus ar mo shon féin comhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann Seán Ó Treasaigh as a bhás. Bhí sé dílis dá phobal agus d'oibrigh sé go dian dícheallach ar son an chórais daonlathach agus ar son a dhúiche féin. He was a committed public servant at local, national and European level. He had very strong personal convictions as a Deputy. He was always incredibly fair-minded and independent in his role as Ceann Comhairle on four occasions. An extremely popular politician, being returned seven times as a Deputy, and, of course, serving as an MEP from 1981 to 1984 for Munster. He first ran in 1957 for the Labour Party, when it was the minority party in an outgoing Government; never an easy task, as Deputy Howlin would testify. At his first attempt, he polled very credibly. Four years later, however, he topped the poll and took the seat which he held for 36 years, an extraordinary achievement.

He was very much part of a rural Labour Party tradition that often held the fort, or, indeed, the seats, irrespective of what the prevailing political trends might have been elsewhere, particularly at national level. It did not seem to affect the endurance or longevity of a Deputy like Seán Treacy. In a similar mode to John Ryan in Tipperary and Dan Spring in Kerry, he was rooted in his county. In his opinions and his outlook, he was happy to reflect those of his constituents. He served another ten years as Ceann Comhairle after 1987. In 1973, he saw the position and he pledged to strive earnestly to uphold the dignity and the decorum of the House. No one can say that he did not honour that pledge. In fact, in 1987, he said, "All Members may rest assured that their rights and obligations in this House will be treasured and safeguarded by me".

I recall, as a Deputy from 1989 onwards, thinking that I could use that sort of tolerance flexibly, but I quickly discovered that, as Ceann Comhairle, Seán Treacy had an extraordinary capacity to mow down, in a staccato manner, any Deputy who had the potential to be disorderly on the Order of Business. It was a most extraordinary talent and it rendered one rooted to one's seat even as one about to rise because he could almost spot that one was not going to be in conformity with the Order of Business. I am not suggesting, a Cheann Comhairle, that you look back on the film clips of those occasions-----

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