Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I join others in extending my sympathies to Kate's family and colleagues in the Progressive Democrats Party. Kate was a friend to Senators and will be greatly missed by us all. I was so happy to see her in the House just before Easter. I thought she looked wonderful that day and she was very happy to be here.

Kate had very special qualities which, as others have stated, were recognised by everybody. She drew people to her. When she became ill at first she was admitted to hospital where I visited her a couple of times. I asked her how she would cope at home. At that stage she was reasonably well and I asked her whether she would like to go out for lunch some day. She replied that she would have somebody taking her out for lunch every day. She had such wonderful neighbours and friends who looked after her that she would never be on her own. It says much about her that people extended the hand of friendship to her. She had done the same for the people around her for a long time and she had given much to her community.

Kate took great pride in her public life and was proud to be a Senator, as we all know. She loved her work and loved achieving things. It must have been a wonderful day for her when she was nominated to Seanad Éireann and she took great pride in that. She will be greatly missed by the Progressive Democrats and all its members throughout the country, and by the people of Celbridge, but she will really be missed by all of us here. We need only look across the House and we miss her.

She will be also missed in terms of the contribution she made to the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs, as she has been missed in recent months when she was too ill to attend. She made a great contribution to that committee because of the depth of her feelings for people who were less well-off than her. This came through whenever Kate spoke — whether on behalf of the elderly, the sick or anybody she wanted to help. She really made an impression on people.

Kate was good fun. One was no sooner beside her than one was laughing because she would just say something funny. She did this at times when I knew she was in pain. Even before her recent illness, she was in great pain at times due to the problems with her legs, but she carried that pain bravely. It was difficult for her to get about at times but she came to the House because she wanted to be part of what was happening and to make her contribution. She bore her pain bravely, which is an example to the many people who must carry pain for years.

May she rest in peace. We will all miss her.