Shane Ross (Independent)

The opposite is true in the case of Paddy Behan. It was with incredible sadness and great surprise that I discovered he is retiring in about two weeks. I believed he had about a year and a half to serve before retirement. As Senator Brian Hayes said, it is extraordinary that someone who looks and sounds so young, and whose mind is so young, is leaving us. It is a terrible condemnation of the fact that there is mandatory retirement for people in the public service who reach a certain age. Paddy Behan still has very much to offer but unfortunately he will not be able to offer it to us any more.

If Paddy Behan was not the first person I met when I first came to Leinster House 23 years ago, he is certainly the first I remember. All I can remember is that he was incredibly kind and very helpful. He showed me the ropes and told me my entitlements. Some weeks later, I heard that Paddy had left and I was devastated. Some less friendly face appeared behind the counter downstairs. However, about six weeks later, Paddy reappeared and has been here ever since. He has been a great friend to all Members.

As Senator Brian Hayes implied, the greatest tribute to Paddy Behan is not that he is a friend to the Members, as he has been, but that the junior staff in Leinster House speak so incredibly highly of him. If one judges a man on his life or job, one should do so on the basis of how he is regarded by those in positions below him and not on how he is regarded by his equals or those he is supposed to serve. I have considerable experience of talking to staff of this House and have noted that they have all spoken highly of Paddy Behan. This is an incredible tribute to him given that there are people in the Houses, in all positions, who do not speak quite so highly of the rest of us. Paddy Behan is unanimously respected and liked because he has the time to be helpful to everybody, regardless of his or her stage in life. Being popular with the staff is an incredible quality.

The second characteristic of note is Paddy's great patience. He always has enough time to talk to one about one's problems. I had a small problem last week that caused me a great deal of grief. The assistant in my office stated that Paddy Behan was the guy to sort it out. We went to Paddy, who was sitting at his desk, and he told me not to worry because he would resolve the problem. Another person might have been a little more gruff. The problem in question was a fault more of my making than anybody else's but Paddy resolved it.

Paddy Behan will be irreplaceable. He has been an incredible rock of sense and support to all Members. He is a great advertisement for how civil servants should go on forever. I wish him a very happy retirement, a long life and a great deal of continued activity and fitness.