Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Green Party, I join Members on all sides of the House in expressing my condolences to the family of Austin Currie, namely, his wife, Anita, their children, Estelle, Caitríona, Dualta, Austin Óg and our colleague, Senator Emer Currie. Very few people will equal, in one lifetime, the positive impact that Austin Currie had on politics on this island. As the Minister with responsibility for equality, I have always been inspired by Austin's lifelong dedication to achieving equal civil rights for those so profoundly discriminated against in Northern Ireland.

Underpinning all of this was a deep conviction that justice should prevail through peaceful and democratic means and that courage was needed to act on this conviction in a climate of violence, intimidation and hatred, often against him, his immediate family and his political peers. That courage and conviction could be seen in the political tasks Austin turned his ambition towards, which were always peacebuilding projects. He brought real political skill and dignity to both his elected and appointed political roles in: the old Northern Ireland Parliament; the short-lived 1973 Assembly and Executive; the New Ireland Forum; and as Deputy for Dublin West, my constituency, for 13 years. Austin's active political career ended before mine began so I would not have known him terribly well but I recall in May 2019 in the convention centre in City West him walking around with unalloyed pride as Emer was elected to Fingal County Council on her first attempt.

A number of weeks ago, I met Senator Currie and Anita in the car park and Anita gave me a concise history of the foundation of the SDLP in her and Austin's front room. She talked about a small number of people going over the political programme and of how she took down the constitution on their typewriter. It is amazing to think of the legacy that comes from such small and intimate gatherings and of the political movement created within that sitting room. That dignified legacy of Austin's stands as a credit to him, his family and his former SDLP and Fine Gael colleagues and it should serve to inspire all of us in this Chamber and everyone still engaged in the process of peacebuilding in Northern Ireland.

See this speech in context