Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ar mo shon féin agus ar son Sinn Féin, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann agus cairde iarTheachta Paddy Harte, a fuair bás i mí Eanáir. On my own behalf and on behalf of Sinn Féin I extend sincere sympathies to the family and friends of former Teachta Paddy Harte, who passed away last January. As has been said, Paddy had a lengthy career in the Dáil, serving the people of his beloved Donegal for no less than 36 years from 1961 to 1997. It is an incredible record. During that time he served briefly as a Minister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs from 1981 to 1982. However, quite correctly, it is for his work on peace and reconciliation that Paddy will be best remembered, particularly his work in delivering the Island of Ireland Peace Park in Flanders which opened in 1998 and which commemorates all Irishmen who died during the First World War. It is a place I was pleased and moved to visit. It is a tribute to him.

There is much on which Paddy and I would have disagreed, but I have no doubt that there are also many things on which we would have seen eye to eye. In any event, his contribution to public life was immense. I join others in extending sympathy and condolences to his loved ones, his wife Rosaleen, his nine children Mary, Paddy, Anne, Jimmy, Róisín, Eithne, Johnny, Garrett and Emmett - a formidable clan - his other relatives and friends and his wider family and colleagues in Fine Gael. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

Arís ar mo shon féin agus ar son Sinn Féin, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann agus cairde iarTheachta Monica Barnes, a fuair bás i mí Bealtaine. I also extend deep sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of former Teachta, Monica Barnes, who passed away in May. On the occasion of her passing I remarked in the House that she had always struck me as a very untypical member of Fine Gael, which was received as one might expect by her fellow members of Fine Gael. She served in the House for a lengthy period from 1982 to 1992 and again from 1997 to 2002. She was also briefly a Member of the Seanad in 1982.

She was undoubtedly one of the most courageous feminist voices of her time and in Irish political history. She was one of a small number of people who had the foresight, compassion and vision to stand against the eighth amendment when it was first proposed. I never met Monica Barnes. I wish I had as I really liked her. I had great admiration for her, and her record of public service speaks for itself. I recall as a young woman listening to her, watching her and being moved and inspired by her. I join with others in extending sympathy and condolences to her husband Bob, her daughters Sarah and Joanne, her siblings, grandchildren, other relatives and friends, as well as her colleagues in Fine Gael. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

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