Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

On behalf of my Fine Gael colleagues in this House, I join the Leader in paying tribute to Eileen Desmond and extending our sympathies on this terrible loss to her family and to her Labour Party colleagues in the House. I did not know Eileen Desmond and never met her but as someone growing up in the 1980s I was very much aware of her contribution to politics from the television and reading newspapers.

One of the great mistakes made by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in that very turbulent period in the early 1980s, to which the Leader referred, was the concession we made to put the issue of abortion into the Constitution. She was the only female Deputy to vote against that in the Dáil at a time when there were many female Deputies in both parties. She showed great understanding as well as the courage to which the Leader referred. Given her rural base it was very difficult to take that stand in 1981 and 1982. She also showed great intellect in knowing the difference between statute law and constitutional law and knowing where things should go. It is a living testimony to her intellect that she had the courage to say it would be a great mistake to put the issue of abortion into the Constitution. She understood how the apparatus of the State worked.

She also showed great courage in 1979 when she was elected to the first directly elected European Parliament elections for the Munster constituency. I understand that in 1981 she was asked by Frank Cluskey to stand back from the European Parliament to contest a Dáil constituency. With fixed term parliaments and financial security, it would have been easier to stay in Strasbourg because the 1980s was a turbulent period here in which we had five general elections. Eileen did not take the easy option, which was a great sign of her fidelity and real commitment to the Labour Party. She decided to contest the election when she was asked to do it by the party leadership. We underestimate in politics now the importance of party politics and the very strong convictions of members of political parties about party values. Eileen showed that in great measure in 1981.

The third issue I wish to raise in tribute to Eileen is the fact that her entire family was given over to the Labour Party. Those of us who are members of political parties often take it for granted that this is not just an individual business, but a family one. Eileen's husband, Dan Desmond, who died at a very young age gave his life to party politics, as her daughter Paula is doing on a daily basis as a member of Cork County Council.

They are my reflections on this great parliamentarian, this great woman whom I suspect was a role model for other women at a very difficult time in Irish politics. I hope her memory will be treasured in this House as someone who made a great contribution to this country. It is only right and fitting that we remember her today.