Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It is an honour to pay tribute on behalf of the Fine Gael group to Joe Sherlock, a former Member of both Houses of the Oireachtas. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to know him during my time as a Member of the Dáil and I was always impressed by his deep commitment to the people he represented in the Cork East constituency and to the causes dear to him. Throughout his 40 years in public life, Joe Sherlock demonstrated a deep and unwavering commitment to public service as a member of local authorities and both Houses of the Oireachtas. The leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Gilmore, put it well when he said of Joe, "He was an outstanding public representative whose dedication and commitment to the people he represented was an inspiration to us all".

I offer my deepest condolences to the Sherlock family, Joe's former colleagues in the Labour Party and, particularly, his son, Deputy Seán Sherlock, who is continuing his family's tradition of public service in the Oireachtas. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.