Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Today we pay tribute to a former Member of this House, the late Luke Belton. He served in the Seanad for a short period in 1982 and from 1983 to 1987, both times on the administrative panel. He also had a very active Dáil career and served his Dublin constituency with great gusto. His family hails from Longford and the name Belton still features strongly in the Fine Gael Party in that county. The family is also connected politically with Avril Doyle MEP.

He was a strong constituency worker and very active in the Dáil. He introduced a Private Members' Bill on the purity of water, which fell on the dissolution of the Dáil. He maintained a constant presence in the Seanad, the Dáil and in his constituency and survived a complete and radical shake-up of his constituency.

I did not know him personally but the name Belton resonates with public service, with Fine Gael politics and with people who want to do something for their constituency and their people. He had all of those qualities in abundance.

We on this side of the House express our sympathy to his wife, Elizabeth, and to his four children, three sons and one daughter. When I told people I was to talk about Luke Belton they said they knew him well. He had a strong personality, as the Cathaoirleach will know, and was a very definite person, both of which are good attributes. He will be a great loss to the Fine Gael Party and his own family. We also convey our sympathy to his political family and the wider Belton family.