Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I echo the words of sympathy for the Burke family so eloquently expressed by the Leader. Like many of my colleagues in this group, I was in Béal na mBláth in August attending the annual General Collins commemoration when we heard of the untimely passing of Liam Burke. While many of us knew for some months that he was unwell, the news came as a great shock to the party supporters assembled on that Sunday.

Liam Burke was a gentleman. He was involved in politics for over 50 years, serving on Cork City Council and in both Houses of the Oireachtas, as a distinguished public servant. It is a great pity that after his retirement from the other House in 2002, and local politics in 2004, he did not have a longer time to enjoy being with his family and friends in his beloved Cork.

I remember him with great fondness. When I lost my seat in 2002 the first letter of support I received came from Liam Burke and I recognised the sincerity of that gesture. He did not have great ambition for himself in politics but had it for our party. He was one of those elder figures within a party who was utterly loyal and committed, with a devout sense of belonging to a political grouping and defending it against all comers, a characteristic that is probably less prominent in Irish politics today than 20 or 30 years ago.

He also defended a marginal seat in the difficult working class constituency of Cork North Central for many years. Famously, he won by a handful of votes in 1992 when his was the only additional seat Fine Gael won in the whole country — a significant testament to his work rate in that constituency.

In 1979, his victory along with that of another then member of our party effectively brought about the end of Jack Lynch as leader of Fianna Fáil and Taoiseach. Liam Burke was there in the momentous times caused by the by-elections in 1979. The highlight of his political career came in 1984 when he was Lord Mayor of Cork. He loved Cork city and the corporation and his time as Lord Mayor.

On behalf of our group I offer our sincere sympathy to his wife Noreen, his daughters, Catherine and Emma, and the extended Burke family. He will be greatly missed in Fine Gael, in Cork, and among people who follow dog racing and coursing and so on. I do not understand these activities but am told they are great sport.

I was in County Clare on my holidays and met a large group of people in Liscannor who spoke fondly of Liam Burke. They described him as "a great dog man"— someone who enjoyed the dogs and had great success at the sport. We send our deepest sympathy to his family and remember him fondly as a figure who, in his way and time, gave great service to this country.