Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Taoiseach to the House and congratulate him on the culmination of 11 years of effort, eight of them as Taoiseach. He has every right to be enormously proud of the progress made and of his unique contribution to it. He has brought to fruition the aspirations and efforts of every Government since the foundation of the State. We no longer have an active IRA or paramilitary weapons in our midst. It was a great honour to work for a head of Government with such decent and humane instincts, who was never concerned about striking poses or earning glory for himself but about getting the business done, often in a quiet, what may be termed a "keep the head down" manner. For that reason, not everyone realised the sheer number of hours spent on effort and patient conciliation that went into the process.

Perhaps I might be permitted to mention some of those who helped the Taoiseach, particularly regarding decommissioning. The role played by Tim Dalton, until recently Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, was outstanding. He was a great servant of the State. I might also mention successive Secretaries General in the Department of the Taoiseach, Paddy Teahon, Dermot Gallagher and, today, Michael Collins. The assistant secretaries were also outstanding people. In the Department of Foreign Affairs, there were Seán Ó hUiginn, DaithíÓ Ceallaigh——