Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle) | Oireachtas source

Before proceeding to the Order of Business, I draw Members' attention to the fact that Patricia Doran, sitting here in front of me, is with us on her final day of service in Leinster House. Patricia has served in the Oireachtas for 28 years and today is embarking on early retirement. I know most, if not all, Members present have benefited from her wise counsel, her good humour, her straight-talking ability and her commitment to working well and efficiently, particularly under pressure. All of us are fortunate with the calibre of staff supporting us in our work. Patricia typifies all that is good, decent and honourable about the Civil Service.

For my own part, after three years in this particular job, Patricia has been a rich source of procedural knowledge and expert advice. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Standing Orders, salient rulings of the Chair and general procedural matters. She has many interests, thank God, outside this Chamber. I know she has many plans once she escapes from us. She leaves with sincere thanks from all of us on a job extremely well done. She should be proud of her exemplary service to the Houses of the Oireachtas, to Members and, through us in the House, to the country as a whole.

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