Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Labour Party I extend our sympathies to the family, friends and supporters of Noel Treacy, to his wife Mary and their four children, Joan, Emer, Lisa and Rory, and all his grandchildren and extended family. I did not serve in the House with him, but by all accounts he was a formidable politician serving the people of Galway East for nearly 30 years from 1982 up until 2011.

The word "stalwart" is often used in politics to describe those who have loyally served their party for many years, and it can certainly be applied to Noel. But that word captures more than service. It speaks to those who work as part of the team and Noel always did that. Maybe it came from his keen interest in sports and GAA where he chaired the Galway County Board for five years – a term I am sure was very useful in the competitive field of Galway politics.

Even in retirement he worked as a director of elections and within Fianna Fáil, remaining steadfast in his support for his party. By-elections are never easy for candidates, especially when one's party is in Government, but Noel was one of those rare politicians. He set a mark in July 1982 when he won just over 50% of the vote in the by-election caused by the death of Fianna Fáil Deputy Johnny Callanan. Being re-elected across seven general elections is a remarkable feat, and his record of winning a by-election as a Member of a Government party stood for nearly 30 years.

In preparing to speak today I took a quick look at his time as a Minister of State and what stood out was the large number of Departments he served across, from Finance, to Health, Justice, Transport, Education, Enterprise, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs. He was clearly a trusted member of Fianna Fáil for all its leaders throughout that time, accruing 17 years of ministerial service. As someone who served as a Minister of State for 17 months, 17 years sounds absolutely exhausting. I am sure there were many stories collected from each Department, and achievements in each, especially in the OPW, that remain cherished memories for his family and supporters, his former staff and colleagues.

It is worth recalling that as Minister of State with responsibility for science, technology and commerce, he played a key role in promoting Science Week and in 1998 he said "I would like to see science and technology becoming part of our culture, like the arts and sport". His work there continues and played a key role in the building of our knowledge economy. As the Labour Party's former leader Eamon Gilmore said on his passing: “Very saddened to hear of the death of Noel Treacy. I have great memories of him as a fellow student in Garbally and of our many years together in Dáil Éireann.”

Noel died at the relatively young age of 70. I know that his passing will have broken the hearts of many who have gathered here today. I say to his grandchildren that you should remember today. It is no small thing to have your grandfather remembered in the national Parliament. You should be proud of that and proud of his legacy.

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