Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join previous speakers in acknowledging Donal Creed and paying tribute to his political career and his political achievements over a varied career at local, national and European levels as well as serving as a Minister of State. His lasting legacy politically is the national lottery.

When he was Minister of State at the Department of Education during the mid-1980s he was instrumental in advancing scholarships for people involved in sports. These scholarships operated in the US, in particular, and were for basketball, golf and other sports. He did pioneering work at the time and it has stood the test of time in the sense of people benefitting from it.

While on paper we were political foes, Donal encompassed and gave what was best about Irish politics. Donal Creed tried every day that he was in politics to advance the case of the people of Cork Mid or Cork North-West to ensure they were better off from his public representation.

While I never served with Donal Creed, I remember a meeting in May 1997 as I was embarking on a canvass of Ballydaly. I met Donal as we set off for Caherbarnagh. He said he would go the low road and suggested I go the higher road. That ended up in a different way for me because I married someone from the high road later on in life. I remember what he said to me at the foot of the Caherbarnagh Mountain that day. We were talking about politics and he gave me every encouragement. While Donal told me it was a difficult life and spoke of the drawbacks of it, he also said to me that there was great achievement in helping our fellow man. That was exactly the phrase Donal Creed used that day. I think that is what he wanted to achieve. He wanted to benefit mankind and to help people. Everyone who knew Donal Creed would have stories to tell in that light.

His political astuteness, which was rare, has not fallen far from the tree with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, and the way he conducts his business. Like his father, he does not rush to the limelight but he is still very effective in it.

I sympathise with Donal's wife Madeleine and his daughters Marcella, Michelle, Madeleine, Suzanne and Louise. I wish to remember Nuala and Claire, who died only a few weeks before Donal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank his son, Michael, for his friendship in this House and for his kind words to me last April.

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