Dan Boyle (Green Party)

The Taoiseach's presence today allows us to acknowledge his ongoing public service on behalf of the State. He has spoken on two issues that are important for the future success of the country, and his role in both must be acknowledged. It is for the electorate to adjudicate on the Lisbon reform treaty. The Taoiseach's role, under Ireland's Presidency of the EU, in securing agreement on a draft constitutional treaty of Europe requires special acknowledgment. It is something to which the EU may yet return. Much of the confusion that still exists about the functions and structures of the EU could have been dealt with more adequately by the Taoiseach's work in producing a single document that was easily understood than via subsequent developments. I am certain the European Union will return to that work.

The Taoiseach's success in developing the Northern Ireland peace process deserves repeated acknowledgement in terms of the political history of the State. That it was done at great personal cost in terms of family life adds to the debt the country owes him.

The Taoiseach deserves great credit too for his work on the social partnership process. Several partnership agreements have been devised through his skills in conciliation and his brokerage. Several important social documents have been produced which brought about greater cohesion and economic success. The Taoiseach has perfected a model that all in public life must seek to emulate if we are to ensure this State's continued success.

The Taoiseach showed his political skills too in developing his party as a party of Government and in ensuring Government was about compromises and working with others to agree programmes for Government that were in the best interests of the State. In 2007, the Taoiseach made the decision to bring my party into negotiations with his party to form a new Government. He has undertaken the same process in respect of other political parties in this Chamber. It is another of his notable political achievements that future Governments will be built upon that consensus model. The State can only operate effectively by achieving that level of agreement.

The Taoiseach has had an impressive political tenure with more than 30 years as a Deputy, several years as a Minister and 11 years as Head of Government. He was remarkably young when he became involved in politics. I was 12 years old when he entered Dublin Corporation and 14 years old when he was first elected to Dáil Éireann. Despite this, our political lives have seemed to intersect at significant times in the life of this State. Before I had the honour of being a Member of either House, the Taoiseach gave me the honour, through the social partnership process, of being appointed to and serving for several years on the National Economic and Social Council. That honour was added to when he appointed my colleague, Senator Déirdre de Búrca, and me to serve in this House as the first representatives of our party. I would like to highlight that the decision to bring the Green Party into government had to have been made by the Taoiseach, as an individual, based on the further needs of this country and the need to build on political co-operation and consensus. I may be selfish in thinking it might be seen to be the highest of his political achievements. There are many more to come. He is still a relatively young man, especially in political terms. I am certain he will continue to have a public service role on behalf of this country, perhaps in the international arena where he has gathered so much experience. That experience must be put to the best use for this country. Thank you, Taoiseach.