Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I served in the House with former Senator Belton and was glad to know him. He was, like many of us, permanently on the backbenches but contributed significantly nonetheless. He would fit into anybody's definition of the traditional Fine Gael spectrum, which meant he was a man of strong views that would not necessarily have coincided with my own. However, he was a man who held those views because he believed in them, not because there was some electoral advantage in them. They were values he inherited and values he would wish to pass on. Whether one agreed with all of those values, they were worthy of respect and sincerely held, which is a characteristic of Luke Belton and the distinguished political family of which he was a representative.

It is always worthwhile to pay tribute to those who pass through these Houses and serve. To put one's head above the parapet in electoral politics is one of the great risks to take in life as there is no guaranteed outcome. Those like Luke Belton who came to the Houses and tried to represent their constituents with the best of integrity are those who are particularly worthy of tribute. On behalf of the Labour Party, I pass on my sympathies to his party and, in particular, his family.