Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We have been saddened by the passing of a friend and colleague in the Oireachtas, the late Senator Kieran Phelan, this morning. Kieran was a well-known, much admired and greatly respected Member of Seanad Éireann. He was a constituency colleague of mine and a lifelong friend, and we will miss him deeply.

He was an unassuming gentleman, kind, easygoing and dependable and he was loyal to his friends. He had a real ability to relate to people and had a keen political sense. He had a strong sense of humour and a strong work ethic.

He leaves behind a legacy of hard work and strong commitment to public service. He was a hugely committed member of our party. He served on Laois County Council from 1991 to 2003 and he was an effective and proud chairman of Laois County Council in 1998 and 1999. He was elected to Seanad Éireann in 2002 and re-elected in 2007. His passing will be mourned right across political life. He is a great loss to public service, to his community and to his many, many friends.

Of course, his loss will be felt most keenly by those who knew him best and loved him most. I want to extend my deepest sympathy to his wife Mary, his five children, Fiona, Martina, Brenda, Aisling and Patrick and his extended family, many of whom I know well and value as friends.

Fear misniúil, cróga, uasal a bhí ann a sciob an bás uainn go tobann ar maidin. Déanaim comhbhrón pearsanta dá chlann, dá mhuintir agus dá chairde. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I want to express my sympathy to the Taoiseach - the late Senator Kieran Phelan was a personal friend of his - and to the party on this tragic circumstance that happened this morning. I only heard the news before I came down to the Chamber. It is a shock when something like this happens.

I did not know Kieran that well, but I met him in the corridors and around the House here. What can I say except that I express my sympathy to his wife Mary and his children? He was the chairman of Laois County Council, he was very well respected and regarded in the agricultural community and he represented the people of south Laois very ably and competently. This is truly an enormous shock to his wife Mary and to his family, and indeed, to the Members and his colleagues, both in the Fianna Fáil Party and in the Seanad, and to politics in general.

One can never be certain of what the future holds and that news, given to me this morning at 10.20 a.m., was, indeed, a shock. I regret his passing. I want to express my personal sympathy to the Taoiseach, as a friend of Kieran's, and to his family on behalf of the Fine Gael Party.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I want to join with the Taoiseach and Deputy Kenny in expressing my sympathy and the sympathy of the Labour Party to Mary Phelan and to her family on the death of Senator Kieran Phelan.

I was extremely shocked when I heard the news this morning of Senator Phelan's very sudden death. He was somebody who we all met and knew around the House here, and talked to, passed various comments with and so on.

In particular, I want to express sympathy with the Taoiseach and, indeed, with his colleagues in the constituency of Laois-Offaly who would obviously have known the late Senator Phelan better than most of us. The loss of a colleague is always a very sad occasion, but the loss of a colleague in such sudden unexpected circumstances is a double blow. I just simply want to express my sympathy with his wife, family, friends and particularly his political colleagues, including the Taoiseach.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

On my own behalf and on behalf of the Sinn Féin Deputies and our sole Member in the Upper House, Senator Doherty, I wish to extend our sympathy to the late Senator Kieran Phelan's wife Mary, to his four daughters and son, and to all his extended family on what is quite clearly for them a terrible morning with news such as this presenting in such a sudden way.

I want to extend our sympathy to the Taoiseach, as a friend and colleague of the late Senator Phelan, and to the Fianna Fáil Party here in this House and in the Seanad, and indeed, to all the Members of the Upper House who have just lost a colleague in that tier of representation.

At this point - I am sure we will have an opportunity again to pay tribute to the late Senator - I would like to join with colleagues in extending once more our sympathy to his grieving family at this time and to his colleagues in the Fianna Fáil Party.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is a very sad day. I want to join with the Taoiseach and other colleagues in expressing our shock at this stage and deep sympathy following the news this morning of Kieran's sad death after a heart attack. I want especially to offer my condolences to his wife Mary, their son in Australia who has been contacted and their four daughters, and also to his mother who is still alive and hale and hearty - it is very hard for a mother to hear news like this - and the large extended family.

Kieran and I served together on Laois County Council from the same electoral area of Borris-in-Ossory. We worked exceptionally well on behalf of the area. There is a shock and a gloom around the Rathdowney and south Laois area in the past couple of hours since the word has spread. I have spoken to his brother, Brendan. His wife, Mary, is obviously distraught. I join with all other Members in our expressions of sympathy at this early stage. I will speak to the family at the first available opportunity.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As an elected representative of the people of Laois-Offaly and a colleague of Senator Kieran Phelan, I wish to join with the Taoiseach is offering our condolences to his wife, Mary, his family and his brother, Brendan who is currently a member of Laois County Council. Like Deputy Fleming, I served with the late Senator Phelan as a member of Laois County Council and indeed on a number of local representative committees throughout County Laois. He was a kind, decent and generous man who looked after his constituents in an assiduous and dedicated way. I wish to join with the Taoiseach in his offer of condolences to the family. This is a sad day for the people of County Laois.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I wish to join with my colleagues and with the Taoiseach in sympathising with the late Senator Kieran Phelan's family. There is shock and upset here in the House this morning at the news but it is nothing to the shock and upset that will be felt in the wider Rathdowney and Laois area. Unlike my colleagues, I did not have the opportunity of serving on Laois County Council with him but I served on the Midland Regional Authority. Kieran was always a very good-natured, friendly man and always had the interests of his own area at heart. I join in expressing my sympathy to his wife, Mary, his five children, his mother and his brother, Brendan and extended family.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context

On by own behalf and on behalf of all Members of the House, I wish to join with the expressions of sympathy to the Phelan family on the tragic death of Senator Kieran Phelan this morning.