Brendan Ryan (Labour)

When we lose a colleague from politics who has served so long and in such a colourful manner, someone we identified with Limerick, it is difficult to think of an appropriate phrase. At this time, we should pay tribute to Senator Russell and to the service performed by him and by people like him. He was a man who spent all of his life in politics, giving service to society and we pay tribute to that as much as to the individual. His family will miss him, his city will miss him and once again we pay tribute to a person who chose to plough the furrow of public service where there is inevitably more grief than gratitude. At least we can always recognise the qualities in our colleagues.

On behalf of the Labour Party, I would like to be associated with the tributes paid here this morning.