Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute. Although mentioned by Senator Brian Hayes, it is probably not widely known that the Doherty family is originally from my home town, Drumshanbo, County Leitrim. Cootehall is only five miles away. All that separates us is the River Shannon and the parishes are almost on top of each other. All Seán's aunts, uncles and cousins still live there. The Doherty family was part and parcel of my upbringing because of the contribution its members made to the economic and political life of the area.

Only those of us who come from that part of the country will understand the close relationship between Senator Leyden and Seán Doherty. Many of the stories to which Members have referred centred on their relationship and I also await that book. Senator Leyden said he was in Palestine when he got the news and I could not help but reflect that it would not have been beyond the capacity of Seán Doherty to have arranged for him to be there so he would not be around as he passed away, such was Seán's humour. Long before Senator Leyden became a Member of the House, Seán often referred to him as a Senator in anticipation of him being in this House while he was in the other House. That was the relationship they had. It was as much Senator Leyden's good humour that allowed him to rise to the occasion as anything else. Others would have taken umbrage at what went on but such was the personality of both men that they complemented each other.

Senator Leyden is correct that they provided a superb and outstanding service to the constituents of Roscommon-South Leitrim. It is ironic that we are in the throes of a return to that constituency 30 years after its creation, which had permitted Seán and Senator Leyden to be elected by the people in that area.

I send my deepest sympathy to Maura, Rachel, Cara, Leah and Evelyn; Kevin, Seán's brother, who is the county registrar for Leitrim; and Colm, Ann, Maria and Mena. The Dohertys are a closely knit family and we always admired the closeness of the extended family. The cousins were more like brothers. Seán had extensive property interests in the Drumshanbo area and it is sad that he will not witness their fruition.

The Leader was correct to refer to the latter part of Seán's political career and she also referred to the coverage generated by his death. Senator O'Meara said that, as someone who did not know Seán that well, she was surprised by the amount of press coverage. His family, with whom I spent some time at the weekend, was also surprised to the point of being overwhelmed by the level of publicity surrounding his death, which continued in the following days.

I personally endorse what our esteemed Leader said about people in general acknowledging the public contribution Seán made to the State with one honourable or dishonourable exception. Despite the passing of the years, some people could not find it in their hearts to take the Bible's message about those without sin casting the first stone, which caused considerable anger among Seán's constituents.

His family has come together. I am interested in the contributions here and those in newspapers, as the members of his family have said it was not the Seán Doherty they knew. That Seán Doherty was a stranger to the family. To them, he was first and foremost a husband and a father. Like the Leader, I was unable to attend the funeral due to parliamentary business. Those Senators who attended the funeral will testify to the closeness evident there, both in the floral bouquets and in people's comments.

The contributions that have been made have rightly gone on the record. Of them all, Seán's greatest single achievement politically in terms of the Roscommon-Leitrim area was the creation of the Shannon tax-free incentive area. He was the person who conceived that thought originally. He was the person who doggedly pursued it through various Administrations and was finally able to convince the Taoiseach and the then Minister for Finance, former Deputy Charlie McCreevy, to put it on the Statute Book. This is Seán Doherty's permanent monument and legacy to local and national life, to the families of those who have not had to see their sons and daughters emigrate and to the small towns and villages of north County Roscommon and south County Leitrim where I live that have seen an expansion of their built environments, which has led to more jobs, services and tourism and an era of prosperity unprecedented in our lifetimes. I say unequivocally and unambiguously that all this resulted from Seán Doherty's intelligence and far-sightedness. He saw that the only way that part of the country would be able to get on its feet would be by giving it an extra little bit of a lift. The lift, which will terminate in 2006, has proven to be an outstanding success. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam; ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.