Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Tugaim aitheantas don dhá theaghlach, teaghlach Barnes agus teaghlach Harte, atá linn inniu. Déanaim comhbhrón le teaghlach uilig Harte agus le teaghlach uilig Barnes as a gcailleadh ollmhór.

I acknowledge both families who are present. I do not want to go over ground that has already been commented on. My former colleague Paddy Harte was the standard-bearer for Fine Gael in my constituency for over three decades. I want to talk about the legacy he has left and impact he had on County Donegal. I contacted a number of former party stalwarts in the past week to pick up snippets of the extent of his impact and a measure of his contribution over those years. It came back to his major legacy which was one as a grassroots politician who was very much in touch with his local organisation in the constituency and very much hands on.

His door was always open and was often opened by Rosaleen and his sons and daughters. The door was open not just from Monday to Friday, but was also open on Saturday and Sunday. I believe the door even opened to a constituent one Christmas Day. While it was a different time that access as a politician shows the type of politics we need to embrace because a politician who is not rubbing shoulder to shoulder with people or being with them is not in tune with their needs.

I want to acknowledge his contribution and his commitment to the preliminary work done in advance of the signing of the peace agreement in 1998. He was very hands-on in relation to the Anglo-Irish Agreement and was very much involved in Sunningdale as well. He took risks as a politician, was ahead of his time and had a major impact. We are reaping the rewards of his work through the peace dividend we enjoy today.

I also wish to refer to Paddy's oidhreacht, meaning his legacy and heritage, and his wonderful appreciation of all things related to Donegal, Raphoe and the north west. In later years he spoke in very strong terms about his connections and his upbringing. His legacy in taking risks is something that we, as politicians, cannot forget. We must embrace the lessons learned from politicians like him. He was willing to put the politics of ambition and risk to the fore on behalf of the next generation and worked extraordinarily hard to ensure that people had better opportunities. He had a deep understanding of difference. When I was involved in peace and reconciliation work, I saw at first hand his efforts to try to understand both traditions and to bring people with him at a time many were entrenched in their views and positions.

I am also reminded of the insightful old Irish seanfhocal that I came across in Connemara - castar na daoine ar a chéile, ach ní chastar na cnoic ná na sléibhte - it is the people who meet together, not the hills and the mountains. The hills and mountains always drew Paddy Harte back but his overarching ambition was to bring people together through a deeper understanding of one another. He did that in a way that has left an enormous and rich legacy for the people and politicians who followed him.

I also wish to acknowledge Ms Monica Barnes through the words of my party colleague, former Deputy, Olivia Mitchell. I did not serve in this House with Ms Barnes but my colleague summed her up for me in three words: passionate, inspirational and generous. She was generous with her time and displayed an immense generosity of spirit. As Deputy Mitchell O'Connor said earlier, her passion for social change was unwavering and it was great for her, in her later years, to see the social change for which she fought for so long come to pass.

Ba mhaith liom arís mo bhuíochas agus m'aitheantas a chur chuig an dá theaghlach fá choinne an tiomantas agus an gealltanas thar na blianta atá imithe thart, go háirithe an tiomantas chuig an chéad ghlúin eile.

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